


Tightrope

by KangAshley, ShirayukiSayaka



Category: JBJ (Band), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mob, Crimes & Criminals, Date Rape Drug/Roofies, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Gang Violence, Guns, Heavy Angst, JBJ ensemble - Freeform, M/M, Mafia AU, Minor Original Character(s), Mob Boss Daniel, Recreational Drug Use, References to Drugs, Slow Burn, Undercover, Undercover Cop Seongwoo, Violence, You Have Been Warned, side jinhwi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-04-08 11:39:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 17
Words: 77,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14104557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KangAshley/pseuds/KangAshley, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShirayukiSayaka/pseuds/ShirayukiSayaka
Summary: Drug trades, shootouts, and a prolonged mission bring two lost souls together. But when you're walking on a tightrope, it's so easy to fall. How much should they trust each other when they're on opposite sides of the battle?Things were about to get more dangerous.





	1. Prologue

“What the fuck?” Seongwoo breathed out in exasperation, “You’re telling me I need to stay for another six months in this shitty hellhole?!” He sat down on the bed of his studio apartment. For a minute there he actually thought he wouldn’t have to tolerate the sickening sight of the warehouse by the sea anymore.

“Well, you’re the one who reported that the head of the Seoul headquarters is going to take over the Busan branch, correct?” He felt like his boss, Sungwoon, was talking to a grade school student about how the sun was at the center of their solar system.

“Yeah, and so?” Seongwoo raised his voice in irritation. Sungwon didn’t pay much mind to it, well-aware of the position he’s putting Seongwoo in but a job is a job.

“So you need to continue your observations since you’re already there and it’ll look suspicious if you leave,” Sungwoon said as if it wasn’t obvious enough. Clearly, it’s logical but Seongwoo would not have it. He had done things he wouldn’t have had to and had seen things he wished he didn’t because of the stupid gang Geumhwansang Pa. He just wanted it all to end. “Can we count on you?”

 

“Do I have a choice?” Seongwoo ended the call and lied down, dreading the day the new leader would take charge.

He was supposed to stay undercover for five years max and was given the option of leaving any time he wished. Unfortunately, that was before he relayed the information about a new leader taking over the second largest branch of Geumhwansang Pa. Why he suddenly decided to come down all the way from Seoul, Seongwoo had no clue but it was enough to raise flags on the gang’s activity. Sungwoon must have thought so too if he thought he needed to extend his stay.

A loud ring from his phone disrupted his train of thought. The raven-haired male sighed as he lazily gazed at the device only to be greeted by a small text message. It was from Jaehwan, his supposed ‘partner-in-work’ who assisted him in handling the gang’s weaponry, mainly the firearms.

 

**From: Jaehwan**

New stocks just arrived,

We need you to go over the order

To be sure everything is here.

**From: Seongwoo**

You know as much as I do.

The hell do you need me for?

**From: Jaehwan**

We both know you’re more

knowledgeable to a certain degree.

 

**From: Seongwoo**

Fine.

Give me half an hour.

 

Seongwoo sighed, once again being reminded that his undercover mission wasn’t over just yet. After another minute on the bed, he finally sat up and collected his things before heading to their base.

It was going to be another long year ahead.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

“Glad you decided to grace us with your presence on this fine afternoon” Jaehwan jokingly commented only to be greeted by a scowl from Seongwoo. “Get straight to the point, where’s the delivery?” He demanded, tone stern and impatient as he walked pass Jaehwan and made his way to their part of the headquarters. “Impatient as usual” Jaehwan commented and jogged next to Seongwoo who paid no attention to him while walking at a fast pace.

 

“It’s where we usually receive the deliveries so it should be by the back,” Jaehwan supplied but Seongwoo gave no reaction as he made a turn toward the back. “You know, you could start aging faster when you don’t use facial expression more often” Jaehwan stated as if it were a fact. Seongwoo, who does not slow down at all, raised a brow as if it was the most ridiculous thing he had heard. “And?” The younger boy shrugged, “Just thought you should know, pretty sure you take care of your face with those kinds of features, you know?”

 

“Please don’t tell me you called me down here just to talk about skin care because I am literally going to ditch you right now if you did,” Seongwoo said, tone heavily laced with irritation as if the glare he gave Jaehwan wasn’t enough. The latter seemed accustomed to the response, though, after being on the receiving end of it for the last three years. “No worries, I’m serious when I said the delivery came”

 

“Good,” Seongwoo dismissed the conversation until they arrived by the back where there were crates of various sizes with labels of each gun model. The first thing Seongwoo checked were the pistols; the guns he considered the most important. Although small in shape, it was the best option to carry around especially when they went into meetups with other factions. Weight wise, Seongwoo chose the Beretta for the henchmen since it was considered as the most reliable of its kind with a long service life.

 

For the ‘higher ups’ such as himself, he opted for the SIG Sauer P320. An upgraded version of the previous pistol and very much recent. The SIG Sauer P320 was much lighter by at least a hundred grams making it easier to draw if the user was fast enough. “Did you at least check the numbers? I’m pretty sure you’re capable of doing that,” Luckily Jaehwan did and he flashed a smug smile, “Of course I did, just called you over for quality check. You’re obviously more skilled at doing that than I am.”

 

Seongwoo responds with a curt nod, unaffected by the praise Jaehwan gives him as he rummages through the box for a certain model. “Found it,” He mumbles and pulls out a simpler looking pistol, barrel slightly slimmer than the first two. “You ordered a Cz75? I thought we only got Berettas and Sauers?” Jaehwan asks while the older male hummed as he examined the gun and noticed at least five bullets in the magazine. Without any warning, Seongwoo raised the gun parallel to the floor and shot an empty crate making a loud ‘bang’ echo through the room.

 

Handling guns were nothing new to Seongwoo, he knew the differences and became particular about the specs over time. The issue he had with handguns were always about the recoils. Some were a bit too strong and he had to use both of his hands to avoid injuring his wrist. After a long search for something he could easily handle, Seongwoo settled for the Cz75.

 

The model had a short recoil, not as strong as the others and it was quite slimmer in comparison which made it easier to carry. The search for one wasn’t easy so Seongwoo was immensely satisfied with finally getting his hands on one and immediately placed it on the gun holster around his right thigh. “Yes, we did. But I placed a personal request for a Cz75 so this one’s for me so I’ll be taking this now.” He said with a satisfied smirk as he goes through the other crates of pistols.

 

“The rest are all good to go. Maybe you can start storing them in the storage and distribute them within the week when the higher-ups allow it. Also, I need you to send a follow up to the suppliers regarding the silencers, one of our clients has been very persistent on sending daily reminders about it. Probably planning a raid.” He commanded with a nonchalant shrug as he made his way toward the exit.

 

“We can’t make new moves yet, not until tomorrow at least,” Jaehwan said that had Seongwoo stopping in his tracks. “What do you mean we can’t make new moves?” The older raven-haired male scowled yet Jaehwan remained unfazed, maybe he was even amused at the pissed off response the older male was showing. “New leader, remember? Someone came down earlier to halt everything until the supposed replacement turns up.”

 

Seongwoo clicked his tongue in a pissed off manner. Although it was illegal business, it was still something he took seriously and he does not like his progress being interfered with. “The fuck does he think he is, some sort of royal figure we can’t live without?” He scowled as he scratched his head in frustration, “Fine, whatever. Just put the new arrivals away. Then we’ll just wait for his highness to arrive.”

 

Jaehwan, being the usual playful little shit that he was (at least that's how Seongwoo saw him), chuckled in satisfaction after pissing Seongwoo off like how he always did. “Don’t worry about it, I’m sure you and Kang would get along well. With an attitude like that, you’ll have the best chemistry” He sarcastically commented and even ended it with that ear-piercing laugh that scraped Seongwoo’s ears. “You know the guy?” He asked, a newly lit cigarette now in his hand for a quick smoke break. While Jaehwan was in a chatty mood, he might as well get as much information as he can.

 

“Kang Daniel. Specialized in the drug business. He’s practically the most knowledgeable at it, like how you are to firearms. Used to be with him in the Seoul branch before I was transferred here in Busan.” He casually said while directing some of the men to the storage room, Seongwoo just grew more intrigued and took a drag from his cigarette. “So why are they bringing him down here?”

 

There was a pause, Jaehwan looked equally intrigued until he snapped his fingers in realization. “The crisis in the drugs must’ve reached the main branch. Probably thought they had to bring down one of their best men to remedy the situation.” That was enough to irk Seongwoo’s interest. The drug business was the first thing he targeted when he successfully infiltrated the gang. Spilling all information regarding trade routes, clients, and types of drugs being manufactured to his colleagues in the police force.

 

Although it took him at least a year and a half, the drug activity significantly decreased and that most definitely deserved a pat on the back. If the Seoul headquarters itself was bringing one of their best men down here, then the drugs area must have reached an all-time low. Seongwoo needed to tread carefully from now on, who knows what this ‘Kang Daniel’ might be like? He could be one of those ‘wise men’ or the type to make heads roll.

 

And as much as possible, Seongwoo would obviously want to stay clear of the latter option.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Mika:** So... yes. Welcome to my new work with an entirely different AU to boot. (( where has all the fluff gone?? )) This has been in the works for the past months and me and Ash did a lot of research for this so hopefully everything goes well and our efforts wouldn't be put to waste. Look forward to the future chapters!
> 
>  **Ash:** Hopefully yall stick around cos the plot is just going to get more and more interesting!
> 
> Come find us both on Twitter!  
> ShirayukiSayaka - @ShirayukiSayaka  
> KangAshley - @loveongieI


	2. Kang Daniel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Very mild violence, Foul language

The heads of the different departments in Geumhwansang Pa watched as their soon to be former leader stood in their small meeting space for some parting words before handing over control to the mysterious drug expert from Seoul. Seongwoo surveyed the area and found that some of the capos, despite being ruthless members of a mafia, were giving off a kind of gloomy aura- no doubt having some attachment to the previous head and feeling relatively reluctant to have him leave.

 

“I know what you’re all thinking,” the boss finally spoke. “But this is for the best. I never specialized in drugs from the start and it’s a hard business to manage. I’ll learn more in the city while you all learn from Kang.”

 

Even if someone wanted to speak, nobody made a move to do so. It just wasn’t how the mafia world worked. The people here would die before showing any form of fondness despite the unspoken bond between the capos and the head of Geumhwansang Pa.

 

“So, I’ll be taking my leave. As you know, the replacement will be here shortly. Maybe after two days or so.” the leader nodded his head once, looked around the room with a ghost of a sad smile forming on his face, and left.

 

Seongwoo was likely the least affected even though he had stayed here so long. Of course, how could he be when the boss was leaving because of his work? He exited the room along with the other capos. Not much would be done today and the following days as their leader wouldn’t be around. An annoying arm around his shoulder and voice that could reach the other side of the world interrupted his thoughts.

“I’m sure gonna miss the guy,” Jaehwan said in his ear. Seongwoo just nodded in acknowledgment. He didn’t want this conversation to go on longer than it should.

 

“Won’t you?” Jaehwan attempted but Seongwoo just shrugged, his face blank so as not to show any signs of emotion.

“Ong, Kim,” their leader who just gave a farewell speech spotted them as he was just about to leave. “Goofing off again, I see.” He smiled somewhat fondly- or as fondly as you can get in a gang- and shook his head.

“We ain’t goofing off,” Jaehwan argued. “You know how hardworking we are.”

 

“I believe that’s true for Ong but not so much you.” The boss smiled smugly to which Seongwoo chuckled. It’s funny ‘cause it’s true, right? Just as Seongwoo had finally given a notion of interest in the small talk they were having, the boss looked at him up and down as if evaluating something.

“Hey Jaehwan,” the boss said, shifting his gaze to the noisy parrot-like man. “You’ve worked Kang haven’t you?” Jaehwan looked baffled at the statement but he nodded anyway “I bet fifty Kang would tap in three days.” Seongwoo looked partly confused and partly shocked. He hoped this wasn’t going where he thought this was going. Jaehwan looked at him up and down as well.

 

“You sure?” Jaehwan questioned. “I’m thinking at least a week. This guy has a personality of a cardboard. Isn’t he the type to like people begging for him?”

“You know I would have even with that mood killer personality.” He winked and laughed at his own joke but Jaehwan just looked like he wanted to puke.

“Anyway, take care boys.” the boss said. “And whatever you do, don’t piss Kang off.”

 

After that strange exchange between their former leader and Jaehwan, all Seongwoo can think of now is why the fuck this was happening to him of all people and who the fuck is this new leader?

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

‘Kang Daniel’ was said to arrive today.

 

The whole gang was in a buzz. Some became anxious at the rumored ruthless leader while others remained calm and looked forward to whoever this man was and if he was as capable as they said he was. For all they know, the Seoul branch could have brought down anyone to Busan as a gamble for the sake of increasing productivity.

 

Seongwoo had to admit, he was one of the curious individuals who looked forward to whoever prevented him from finally leaving this dreaded hellhole. Though instead of belittling the unknown identity, he decided to expect the unexpected. Hopefully, he could get close to the new leader and learn about him quick. The faster he picks up every detail, the quicker he could leave.

 

At least, that was the ideal situation he conjured up in his head.

The raven-haired male decided to enter the base earlier than usual and was greeted by the frantic movements of the henchmen. All scrambling to stack the crates on the sides while others prepared the reports and financial statements to present to the new leader. Good thing Seongwoo had always kept track of the trades he conducted or he would also be rushing to get it done. After he dodged a barrage of bodies, he finally spotted Jaehwan who stood with some of their henchmen.

 

“How long has it been like this?” He asked with the usual scowl on his face. Then again, when did he not have a frown on his face?

“A while.” Came Jaehwan’s curt reply. “The others were only informed about the arrival a few hours ago. Hence, the rushing people and flying papers. If outsiders saw us now, they’d think we were some large corporation instead of an underground group with all the people rushing with papers in their hands.”

“So what’s all the stacking for?” The firearm specialist asked as he took out a cigarette stick from his pocket. “It’s just an arrival, isn’t it?”

“Well,” Jaehwan started, “The boss man isn’t here yet but he already demanded everyone to gather at the warehouse in advance. Something about making a few changes before everyone goes back to work.”

 

Seongwoo hummed in acknowledgment as he took a drag from the now lit cigarette while Jaehwan scrunched his face at the smell of smoke. “Are you ever going to stop blowing smoke on my face?” Yet the older male just smirked and blew a bit of the smoke he inhaled in Jaehwan’s direction. “If it pisses you off that much, then no.”

Jaehwan let out a dramatic sigh and rambled on about how his well being will never be taken into consideration. “Indeed the peasants will always be discriminated on.” Seongwoo scoffed at the ridiculousness of the statement, “You’re a fellow capo, Jaehwan. That’s hardly a peasant.”

“I am still of lower status.”

 

 _Okay, this is just getting ridiculous._ Seongwoo thought to himself with a not so subtle eye roll while he took another drag from the cigarette. “How long is this going to take anyway? I still have to process a request from Lim and quality check the stocks―”

 

Seongwoo was instantly cut off as the doors are suddenly swung open. All eyes were now trained on the male, not looking older than 25, with an eye-catching mop of silver hair that framed his sharp features. His broad shoulders and tall stature screamed intimidation and power while the way he carried himself portrayed confidence and no mercy.

 

“Speak of the devil,” Jaehwan simply commented as they take a step back to let the younger male pass through. No doubt, the young man was obviously ‘Kang Daniel’ who was meant to take over their operations starting today. Although his form was the epitome of authority, Seongwoo thought his age might have been an issue. The man, albeit large and tall, was still young and he highly doubted the man was even in his 30s.

 

_“...That’s him?”_

_“He’s just a boy!”_

_“What’s a kid doing here?”_

_“What’s the Seoul branch doing sending someone like this?!”_

_“Incompetent!”_

 

Didn’t seem like Seongwoo was alone in doubting the man’s abilities. But he knew better than to judge based on age alone. There were only two reasons why they would send a young man for the sake of resolving a crisis. He was either a prodigy in some way or he was sent down as a temporary replacement until they find someone more suitable for the role.

 

Seongwoo thought he was leaning toward the first option.

 

The man now stood by the center of the makeshift platform, bodyguards standing on both of his sides while he scanned his eyes through the crowd as if he was scanning each individual. As Seongwoo takes in one last drag from his cigarette, their eyes came in contact with one another but Seongwoo didn’t look away. He stared right back at the man on stage as if he intended to challenge him.

Their gazes locked a little longer than intended and Seongwoo puffed out the last of the cigarette before he crushed the cigarette beneath his heels. After a few more seconds of silent provocation, the silver-haired male smirked at the firearm specialist before he finally decided to look away and address the crowd.

 

“Listen up,” He simply commanded with a thick Busan accent that successfully called everyone’s attention. “As you all know, I came over from Seoul to take over the overall operations for Busan.” He started, eyes once again scanning the crowd. “But it’s not just about overseeing operations. We’re here to change everything to finally get things rolling” A few murmurs could be heard, but Daniel paid no attention to those who were already criticizing him and started to pace around the makeshift platform.

 

“First, I’ll form a central group comprised of the capos of the various departments for an easier way of disseminating information.”

 

“Second, we shall lessen the use of some technology as a form of communication and make use of messengers as much as possible.”  It was only his second item among a number of reforms yet people already protested on the idea of such a drastic change. However, the silver-haired male remained firm about the decision and proceeded to go through other rules. “Although it is prevalent and has become a convenient tool for contacting one another, it’s also highly prone to hacking incidents, therefore, endangering all our crucial information stored in the database.”

 

Even though Daniel had a point, the others refused to be completely compliant. “Are you saying we’re going to start dealing with a shitload of paperwork from now on?!” The silver-haired male halted in his tracks as he side-eyed the opposer. If there was anything he hated, it was being interrupted whenever he talked about important details.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. Is there a problem?”

“Yes, there fucking is! I’m handling tech so what the fuck am I supposed to do?!” The man, whom Daniel identified as Ahn Jaesuk, continued to shout profanities as a strong indicator of his refusal. Yet, Daniel remained calm and simply raised an eyebrow. “Then join the paper sorting like everyone else. Have fun sort―”

“Fuck that! Tech is my specialty! I can’t―!”

“Exactly. You can’t. Whether you meant the paper sorting or the tech, it applies to both. You claim to be the best yet our database has had at least six successful hacking attempts that you didn’t report in the past year. If you can’t even troubleshoot your so-called specialty, then there is no more use for you. Which is why I already called in a replacement and he’s reporting here tomorrow.”

“What―?!”

“Either you join writing paper reports or you can leave. The doors are there and you can easily walk through. So fuck off if you have no other business in our midst.” Daniel dismissed him with a wave of a hand before turning back to the rest of the crowd as if nothing happened.

 

“Third on the list, we’ll be making modifications on the drug trade routes. By that, I mean alternative routes. The police have already caught on to the usual trading sites lately which explains the major drop in sales. And that brings us to the last major change in the list.” Daniel smirked as he stopped at the center of the platform, hands behind his back completely portraying confidence with his authority.

 

“The drug department shall be under my direct orders.” With that simple statement, the people involved immediately reacted and a majority leaned toward the negative. It was no surprise on Daniel’s part; he already expected this to happen given that people always underestimated him at first glance. The henchmen also found it odd. The big boss usually oversees the progress of the entire process, not take part in it. But in every idea, there will always be those kinds of people who are practically ready to go after your throat if it meant benefiting them.

“I wasn’t even informed of this! You think I’d fucking agree to this so easily?!” Seo Minsung, the current leader of the drugs department, roared with outrage; ears and face that turned into a shade of red at the extreme feeling of resentment that coursed through his veins. “I have been doing this for years! Probably before your measly existence was even born and you expect me to hand over this position to you? A fucking incompetent and naive young boy who thinks he can actually rule an empire?! Bullshit!”

 

Despite all the profanities and threats thrown at him, not once does Daniel’s smirk waver. Instead, he boldly squats down on the platform to be on eye level with Seo. “So you must be Seo Minsung.”

“No shit, Sherlock.” The other spat but Daniel simply chuckled at the display of hostility. “Seo Minsung. Current consultant for the Busan branch’s drug department and longtime partner of Geumhwansang Pa You’ve garnered quite a fortune after  working here for years.” The older male scoffs.

“Why? You jealous? Bet I could buy you and your useless life. How ‘bout that?” Seo boldly challenges with an air of arrogance. Yet, Daniel’s smirk widens as he rested his chin on his palm with his knee supporting his arm. “Rich enough to flaunt your wealth, I’m impressed. How’d you rise from being a homeless boy to a wealthy aristocrat?”

“Curious now aren’t you, boy? It’s simply because I’ve handled this business fucking well, the money easily comes to us. But with the likes of you, you look like you can’t even do shit.” Minsung sneered as he daringly takes a step forward until he was only a few feet away from the platform. Yet, the new underboss looked more amused.

 

To their surprise, the silver-haired boy laughed.

 

Not the fake looking kind but one portraying high amusement complete with eyes crinkled into tiny crescents.

“Oh boy,” He started after he wiped away a tear. “You’re actually… more stupid than I thought.” The onlookers, including Seongwoo, looked dumbstruck at the scene. “Uh-oh, Kang probably has some dirt on him” Jaehwan commented by the side and Seongwoo became intrigued, “What do you mean?”

 

“Well,” Jaehwan started with a wary glance to make sure no one listened to them, “Let’s just say Kang is smarter than he looks.” Was all he said and it left Seongwoo confused yet interested in what the younger male could possibly mean. For now, he looked back at the boy who has yet to move from his squatting position despite being threatened.

 

“Aren’t you just complaining about me taking over because you’re afraid it’s going to affect your income like the selfish bitch you are for the past years?”

 

“The fuck―?!” Daniel cuts him off before he could continue.

“Before you question me, yes I have proof.” He smirked at the angered male as he stood back up. At the snap of his finger, one of his bodyguards handed him a small briefcase. Daniel opens the case and revealed several papers with others that looked way older than the rest. The boy took a few and continued to walk at a relaxed pace as he flipped through the papers.

 

“Summer of 1983 when it was just you and Lee, Geumhwansang Pa wasn’t even formed yet but you proved to be a valuable asset to your supplier. Hm, impressive.” He muttered as he flipped to the next sheet. “1992. Oh, you were slowly building your wealth I see. I must say, it is quite a number but…” Another flipped page, “Around the early 2000s… Oh, I was already born by then. The transactions you have reported became rather… inconsistent.”

 

Minsung clenched his fist as sweat dribbled down his temple. That was when Daniel knew it was game over for Seo. “You’ve always had a fixed income with the commission you get from your transactions. Yet your records… state otherwise.” Daniel once again stopped by the center of the platform where he now stood in front of Seo as he read through the paper.

 

“I’ve calculated the total price you should have kept and how much you should have given to Geumhwansang Pa.” He confidently announced with another smirk, “I must say, you’ve been pretty consistent. In all your reports stored in the database, the calculations are correct but the written reports portray a different set of numbers.” Again, Daniel goes back to his squat position, elbows rested on his knees as he looked back at Seo.

 

“You’ve consistently subtracted money ranging from at least two to a million and a half. But hey, I’m just incompetent and naive so do indulge me. How’d you garner such wealth?” He finished with another smirk, one that radiates pure victory and confidence as he stared down at Seo who was visibly shaking in anger.

 

“You think you’re so smart now, do you?!” He yelled as he took another step forward, “You’re only a boy, a fucking kid! You don’t know how the business works let alone live! You’ll bring the entire Geumhwansang Pa down because a big bitch like you can’t do shit right!” Amidst his angry yell, Seo instinctively took out his pistol and was about to take aim until a sharp pain on his thigh made him keel over in pain.

 

“Fuck!” Seo fell on his back and clutched onto his thigh trying to stop the profuse bleeding. Everyone else looked shocked. When Seongwoo looked over at the silver-haired boy who has yet to move from his squatting position, only then did he notice the smoking muzzle of a gun in his hand with a satisfied grin on his face.

Kang Daniel shot Seo Minsung on the thigh and he looked immensely satisfied doing so. But what surprised Seongwoo was how they barely saw him draw it. Seongwoo, who was undoubtedly the best in firearms in the police, remained unrivaled when he went undercover in Geumhwansang Pa years ago. Yet here came Kang Daniel, a young boy who now proved to be a threat both physically and mentally.

 

The boy was undoubtedly smart judging by his investigation skills to expose Seo and how he decided to reform the entire system of Geumhwansang Pa. In terms of physical,  the boy had a large built and was probably taller than him by a few centimeters. The way he carried himself screamed authority and fearlessness. Seongwoo wouldn’t be surprised if he also knew how to fight in hand-to-hand combat.

Seongwoo himself wasn’t helpless in battle, he also knew how to fight in close range combat if they got too close but he was always more comfortable being behind the trigger. Last was his capabilities. With leadership and strategy under his belt, who knows what else he could possibly possess? Kang Daniel has proven to be a major threat and Seongwoo reminds himself to not take the job lightly. This was nothing like the previous years he spent undercover. Things were about to get more dangerous. If he makes the wrong move, he could lose his life.

When Seongwoo shifted his gaze back to the boy, Daniel now stood up not caring about Seo Minsung who was now being taken away. “Moving on,” He casually announced and motioned for the bodyguards to take away the briefcase and papers. “I will now form the central group mentioned earlier. Therefore, I need to speak with the capos of their corresponding departments. No work shall be done unless told to do so. Everyone is dismissed.”

 

The crowd instantly dispersed and only a few people were left whom Seongwoo recognized as the other capos. Daniel looked around eyeing each one of them and proceeded to the back room with a quick gesture telling them to follow. Two of the capos, whom Seongwoo recognized as the two Parks for combat, took the first step towards the room and the others followed suit. Seongwoo was the last to enter the backroom and he was greeted by the sight of the others circled around Daniel who sat by the end of the room. Beside him stood a young boy not looking older than 20. _An assistant, maybe?_

When Seongwoo closed the door behind him, his eyes coincidentally landed on deep brown orbs. Of all people in the room, his eyes just had to come in contact with Kang Daniel. The younger male looked at him with a raised eyebrow as if he was shocked that he was a part of this bunch yet there were also glints of playfulness in his eyes. _Well, surprise you motherfucker._ Seongwoo thought to himself as he stood by the side with Jaehwan.

“Is this everyone?” Daniel asked and everyone nodded in affirmation. “Good, it’s not as numerous as I thought.” He mumbled as he stood back up, “First things first, this young boy here,” He gestures to the young boy who stood by his earlier, “Is my current right-hand man for the drugs transactions. Although he seems young, he is fully capable of doing his job.” The boy did a quick bow and the focus is once again back on Daniel.

 

“So, this will officially be the central group of Geumhwansang Pa. Any information or announcement will be said through you people and it will be up to you to deliver whatever I told you. Think of yourselves as a messenger if you must.”

“Alright,” He said with a clap of his hands, “First order of business, I want a report of every transaction made within the past 12 months. Basically a year’s worth so I can keep track of any improvements or deficits. I want them all by the end of the week, are we clear?” Everyone else answered an affirmation in chorus that has Daniel smiling in satisfaction. “Good, you are all dismissed. Except,” The boy turns around and smirked as he spots Seongwoo, “You.” Seongwoo must have glared unintentionally because Daniel suddenly looked amused.

Each capo makes their way out one by one until only Seongwoo and Jaehwan remain. The silver-haired male looked at Jaehwan in a rather perplexed manner as if he didn’t understand why he was there. Lucky for him, Seongwoo caught up to his confusion and gladly shot down his curiosity. “He’s a fellow capo, two of us handle the firearms together” Daniel hummed though he couldn’t help but look him up and down. In the end, he shrugged and waved it off, “Alright, he can stay. But this is mainly for you.” Daniel pointed at the taller raven-haired male who looked back at him with a raised eyebrow.

 

“So, what’s so important that you had to talk to me personally?” He said with a calm exterior but really, he was downright curious and a bit cautious.

 

“Seongwoo, right?” Daniel asked as he now stood in front of the older male, “Yes, that’s me.” The latter hummed and Seongwoo swore he just looked him up and down as if he was checking him out. Hopefully, he was just seeing things. “Ong Seongwoo, capo of firearms for three years and the most reliable in ranged combat. You can fight in close range too, yes?” Just when Seongwoo nodded, Daniel suddenly threw a punch but Seongwoo was quick enough to dodge and hold Daniel’s arm in place. Although he successfully stopped the attack, Daniel’s punch was too strong he was forced to take a step back to steady himself.

“Impressive.” Daniel simply says but without any warning, he pulled his arm back making Seongwoo stumble forward. In the blink of an eye, Daniel does a roundhouse kick but Seongwoo was fast enough to duck and roll at least a meter away before he got back up with his Cz75 now aimed at Daniel. For the second time that day, Daniel laughed and Seongwoo is left confused yet guarded. Meanwhile, Jaehwan stood by the side and stayed in place. He couldn’t tell what was going on but he thought that he didn’t have the right to interfere either.

“I knew you were just perfect for the role!” Daniel exclaimed, hands now folded by his chest yet the two firearm capos were left confused. The Busan boy caught on to their confusion and chuckled before he leisurely walked around as he explained, “You see, before I came here, I already went through whatever records we had on everyone in this branch. How they moved, what they looked like, and whatever they were in charge of.”

 

“But then, there was you.” He said as he sat back down on the chair, “Capo in firearms and practically the best in his field along with the knowledge of martial arts. Basically, you’re not just capable of protecting yourself but others as well.”

“So what’s your point?” Seongwoo couldn’t help but ask, Daniel was beating around the bush but Seongwoo just wanted their new leader to get on with it. The younger grinned as he rested his chin on his palm, “Straight to the point. I like that”

“I’m going to make you my right-hand man.” He casually replied and Seongwoo raised an eyebrow once more, “Meaning?” Daniel stood back up and once again stopped right in front of Seongwoo who now kept his gun away. “Meaning, you’ll be by my side most of the time. But the purpose varies, really. You could be my consultant, or a bodyguard when we go out, sparring partner too, and maybe…” Daniel trails off as he brought up a hand and brushed it on Seongwoo’s cheek down to his neck and Seongwoo had to resist a shudder as a response.

“... a few more things in between.” He finishes with a smirk. “That’s an order and I already appointed you that position before I even got here so I expect to see you tomorrow morning for my daily rounds. Might as well bring the 12-months worth of reports I mentioned earlier.” Daniel continued to talk as he made his way out and gestured for the young assistant to follow.

“See you tomorrow, pretty boy” He called out with a small wave and smirk that annoyed Seongwoo to no end. “That little piece of shit―”

“Chill,” Jaehwan cut him off (honestly, Seongwoo almost forgot he was even there), “He could hear you. And look at the bright side, you got acknowledged before he even got to know you so that’s a pretty big thing. At least you’ll be beside some hot eye candy 24/7.” Although Seongwoo doesn’t want to admit it, Jaehwan had a point (Except for the hot eye candy part). If the main objective of this mission was to get to know the new underboss and his entire system, the position was perfect.

 

The faster he learned the entire scheme of things, the faster he could leave this hellhole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so this work has officially started! The prologue was up last week so... welcome to chapter 1? lol hopefully you can look forward to the future updates!


	3. Status Report

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Foul language

As his usual morning alarm rung through the silent apartment, Seongwoo was abruptly woken up from his sleep. The man groaned (although it happens every day) and hastily reached out to finally silence the clamorous device and laid on his back. Today was going to be a new day.

Literally.

He had no idea what was going to happen from this point onwards. For the past three years, he has worked under the command of whoever was the underboss but he never came in contact with them for more than two hours. And yet, starting today, he was gonna have to interact with the underboss.

 

Every. Single. Day.

 

 

Oh, which reminded him… He should probably report this to his colleagues.

With that idea in mind, Seongwoo let out a sigh and finally sat up to take a shower. It took him almost an hour to get through his morning routine because of his slow pace (and maybe because he wasn’t really looking forward to today). Eventually, he emerged from the bathroom with a towel around his waist and another on his hand to dry his hair with.

As he was doing so, his eyes landed on the full-length mirror in his apartment. His gaze lingered on the compass tattooed on his right hip. It was small and had the letters N and S where the north and south symbols should be. It’s said to signify the two major branches Seoul and Busan of Geumhwansang Pa. Where the west and east should be have been were the letters G and F respectively as the translation of their gang was Gold Fantasy. Seongwoo would have this removed once the job was over.

Before he started to dress up, Seongwoo took out a disposable phone among numerous stocks to contact Minhyun back at the police station. Minhyun, being the workaholic that he was, immediately picked up after the second ring.

“Getting slower now aren’t you? I’m surprised it even reached the second ring” Seongwoo started with a taunting tone but Minhyun didn’t seem the least bit affected (much to Seongwoo’s disappointment). “I’m more surprised you actually called. So anything alarming?” Seongwoo left the phone on loudspeaker by the center table and walked off to his closet.

“The underboss just arrived.” He said as if it was nothing of importance, it took a few seconds before Minhyun finally replied. “This is a little earlier than anticipated, I’ll get Sungwoon.” Seongwoo didn’t really have a choice, Minhyun didn’t even wait for a reply and left the line open. After at least a minute, Seongwoo already had a pair of black jeans on while Minhyun came back with Sungwoon.

“You said they arrived?” Came the voice of the smaller man while Seongwoo rubbed the towel on his head to resume drying his hair. “He did, just yesterday he had everyone gather in the warehouse space to set some rules. Probably to make sure he gets the message across in a crystal clear manner.” Sungwoon hummed, “Is there something we should know about? Usually, you would text these things, I’m just as surprised as Minhyun when he told me you were calling.”

It was Seongwoo’s turn to pause, hands dropping by his side as he carefully thought out his next words. “He formed a ‘central group’ comprised of the capos of each department and… he made me the right-hand man.” He finished with apparent hesitation in his voice and once again, the other line goes silent for a full minute. “So you mean to say, you’ll be beside this new underboss for the next coming days?” Jisung interjects with what Seongwoo thought were hints of surprise and disbelief. Seems like Jisung decided to rush into the room when he heard Minhyun mention ‘Seongwoo’.

“Maybe even months.” Seongwoo adds as he now wore a red shirt and set aside the black jacket on his bed, “This is… actually advantageous if you think about it” Sungwoon started and Minhyun hummed in agreement.

“I know you wanted to get this over with faster so this is actually going to help you a lot. But from now on, you have to lay low for a bit. This new underboss could be observing you while you work.” Jisung advised and really, Seongwoo was lowkey happy there was someone who actually cared about him more than the information he’s expected to give.

“So moving on,” Sungwoon interrupts. “What’s your first impressions of him so far?”

“The new guy… is smarter than he looks. He’s young, probably around my age but it’s like he has the mindset of someone older. When he entered the warehouse, no one knew him that well but he came knowing who everyone else was. He exposed Ahn and Seo. Ahn, the guy in charge of tech, is getting replaced and he said the replacement would be arriving today. Seo pocketing funds was already thoroughly investigated before we even started so he got ousted as the capo for drugs. In the end, the underboss himself took over the position so now he holds the position as the capo for drugs as well as the underboss in-charge of the branch.” Seongwoo said, recalling the events of the past day.

“Hm... Sounds like a capable guy, obviously dangerous then.” Minhyun comments and Jisung hummed in agreement, “You’ll have to investigate carefully from now on. Investigating from the shadows was easy, but you’re literally placed in the spotlight but I’m sure you already know that by now.” He warned him with that usual caring tone. Although Seongwoo will never admit it, the older male always had that something that made him feel at ease.

“Well,” Sungwoon cleared his throat, “This is quite an impression. So first thing’s first, try and get to know the guy better in terms of how he operates as well as his way of thinking. If you can, which I trust you are capable of, study how the revised system works. It’s like doing everything all over again.” Seongwoo just rolled his eyes at the comment, “Anyway,” the chief continues, “I’m sure you’ll know what to do without telling me. So before anything else, is there something else we should know?” The firearm specialist hummed as he took his time in now polishing his newly acquired Cz75. It was just a baseless thought, but he might as well throw it out in the open.

“Actually,” Seongwoo started as he looked around the gun in his hands, “Don’t get me wrong but, I have a lingering suspicion he picked me with underlying intentions.” He said with a hint of hesitation in his choice of words. “What makes you say that?” Minhyun asked while Seongwoo chewed on his bottom lip to think of his next words, “He kind of… implied there were other ‘tasks’ that could be assigned to me... while he brushed his hand on my face.” The other line was silent, Seongwoo took that as a sign to continue. “I’m guessing he chose me because of my face thinking I could be a good fuck later on.”

“Well… that was straightforward.” Minhyun commented and Seongwoo rolled his eyes at the reaction. Sungwoon interjects before they could ignite another banter like how they usually would (because they’re children, really). “If ever your assumption is correct… then we can’t really help you with that. I guess you’ll have no choice but there is a brighter side of things here.

“First, you just said it yourself. You became the right-hand man so this actually puts you in an advantageous situation. Not only does he become accessible to you, but the flow of information could also pass through you, therefore, making the data gathering easier.

“Second, you’re not really a virgin. You’ve got nothing to lose here.”

“Oh wow, what a positive perspective on things” Seongwoo bit back heavily laced with sarcasm, “Shut up, just listen to me,” Sungwoon commanded with authority that made Seongwoo roll his eyes. Not like the other could see him anyway. “You’ve got nothing to lose so I guess you could even use him for your own satisfaction. It’s not a secret how you sometimes wander out to ‘relieve your stress’. At this point, I’m sure even that co-capo of yours, Jaehwan, would also know by now.”

“It’s different,” He grumbled out in protest but Sungwoon shrugged him off and continued, “Third, you could end up gaining his trust with this. Like you said, he’s still a kid. We’ll never know what he could be like but if he ends up pursuing you over and over again then you would actually have the upper hand. Guess you could say it’s like you would have a sense of control over him. Maybe if you loosen up to him a bit, then he wouldn’t even think you’re a threat and you’d be off the radar.”

“So you mean to tell me, I should manipulate his alleged ‘interest’ in me and secretly use it against him?” It was quite an idea, nothing complicated or complex to achieve so he could at least do that. “If that’s the case then what the fuck? You expect me to just bend over for him so easily for the sake of getting to his good side faster?” He practically shouted but he tried to remain composed to make sure none of their conversations gets leaked to the other rooms.

Minhyun decided to interject and tried to reason out “If you objectively think about it, it’s one way of doing it. Well, it’s definitely not what I’d call the ideal method but it’s unavoidable. If he’s actually interested in you that way then he’ll definitely make moves and in the end, you wouldn’t be able to escape it. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up liking it anyway.” Seongwoo scoffed, “But seriously, all jokes aside, you have to consider it. Because like it or not, it’s one way of getting out of there faster than intended. The only reason you ended up going undercover for three years was that you had to gather information from afar with extreme caution. You barely interacted with the former underboss. But if you'll now be spending every day with him, then you could be out within the year.”

Seongwoo knew that, the concept of literally ‘fucking your way to the top’ wasn’t new but he didn’t like the idea if he himself was involved. But in his case, he didn’t really have much of a choice. Kang was definitely interested since their eyes met when he first entered the warehouse and he seemed rather amused when he found out Seongwoo was a capo himself. Maybe Seongwoo was just being paranoid but he’ll give himself the benefit of the doubt.

As if on cue, his phone made a loud ding, indicating he received a message. A very simple yet demanding one.

 

 

**From: Kang**

Be here in 10.

Rounds start in half an hour.

 

 

The raven-haired male groaned, he didn’t really want to leave so soon but then again it’s not like he had a choice. “The new guy is already expecting me, looks like I got to go now.” He said with the most unenthusiastic tone as he picked up the phone off the table. “Alright, just do what you always do. I’m sure you know that.”

“No fucking kidding. I’ve been doing this for three years.” Seongwoo emphasized, not bothering to hide his bitter tone. Not because of the three years, but because of how he knows he’s the most suitable for the job and no one else can replace him.

“But seriously,” Sungwoon added, “It’s one of your best shots at getting more information. Think about it.” Seongwoo remained halted in his steps, he already knew it was the best option (much to his dismay) and it wasn’t one he could easily avoid.

“I know.” He said as he hung up on the phone without another word.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

Although Daniel specifically said 10, Seongwoo arrived two minutes late. Not like he minded it the slightest anyway. The raven-haired male casually walked to the underboss’ office with a cigarette half consumed in his mouth. Once he opened the door, Seongwoo was greeted by the scene of Kang talking to a much younger boy. The boy was slightly shorter in height, with a face that seemed to be frozen into a brooding expression while he typed away in a laptop. The kid was not the type to smile often, that’s for sure.

“Sure took your sweet time didn’t you, pretty boy?” Seongwoo felt his eye twitch in irritation. The underboss was obviously going to use this nickname for as long as he can but it’s only the second time he heard it and he’s already pissed. “You’re late,” Daniel simply stated yet Seongwoo remained nonchalant, “A measly two minutes, that’s not much of a loss.” The firearm specialist shrugged in dismissal.

The underboss didn’t seem to happy about the display of nonchalance though. Daniel walked over to his direction and stopped just when he was in front of him. Turns out, Daniel was actually taller than he thought since he had to tilt his head upwards to engage in eye contact. “Time is gold, princess.” He said as he snatched the cigarette off of his lips to take in a long drag, “Might want to learn to treasure it in the future than to be an irresponsible spender” He replied with what Seongwoo assumed was a glare as a warning towards his incompetence in punctuality. In the end, Daniel dropped the cigarette on the floor and stepped on the end to kill the fire.  

“So, while you were taking a stroll through the park,” Daniel emphasized as he makes his way back to the desk where the young brooding boy stood. “This kid is Bae Jinyoung, the new tech specialist I mentioned yesterday.” The young boy did a quick bow and mumbled a barely audible ‘hello’ before he diverted his attention back to the laptop on Daniel’s desk.

“As you can see, he’s not much of a talker. Most especially when he’s given a task just like now. Jinyoung is currently going through the current database for any flaws to instantly apply any necessary modifications. Just as I thought, Ahn was definitely detail-oriented but he lacked maintenance. Pity.” He finished as he leaned back in his swivel chair.

For a brief moment, a silent pause befell the room and Seongwoo was left awkwardly standing in the doorway. “Didn’t you call me for today’s rounds?” He inquired and for a moment, Daniel looked confused. “Oh, right, the rounds.” _This bastard–_ “You’ll be taking over today’s rounds on your own.”

_What the actual fuck–?!_

“You just established a new system. A new process on how everyone is expected to operate, how am I supposed to evaluate that when I myself don’t understand the overall procedure?” He wildly complained, not bothering to hide his tinge of irritation. Yet, Daniel remained composed and looked rather amused. Seongwoo just wanted to wipe that grin off his face but of course, he had to hold himself back before he could try anything.

“Relax you grumpy kitty, it’s newly established so you just need to check the initial rules. And by that, I mean the printed out data to lessen the critical information in the digital database. Also, I need you to have the drug department go through this and get them to review it. It’s my modifications to the delivery routes and trade procedures.” The silver-haired male finished as he handed over a folder with several papers that contained maps of various locations.

“First off, I have a name. Fucking use it–”

“That’s no fun, it’s better to rile you up like this.” Daniel interrupted with a smile. _The nerve–!_ “Insufferable,” Seongwoo muttered under his breath as he snatched the papers from Daniel’s hands but the latter was able to catch on to his words. “Thanks, nothing new but I’ll take that as a compliment.” The younger boy even winked as if Seongwoo wasn’t pissed enough.

“And second, you’re in charge. You should be doing the rounds. So why am I doing this alone?”

“Oh, are you going to miss me if I don’t come along?” Seongwoo scoffed and rolled his eyes for what would have been the nth time and it wasn’t even past noon. “As I said, Jinyoung is setting up the remodeled database. I need to be here to tell him what we need and how I want it to be organized.” Daniel stated as a matter of fact and Seongwoo sighed in defeat and irritation. He’ll worry about calming down later, right now he had some tasks to worry about.

“Go around, supervise, and deliver the paper. Got it.” Seongwoo begrudgingly replied as he finally closes the door behind him.

Today was going to be another long ass day.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

Seongwoo headed to his department first. If there were any changes to how he did things, he needed to know to make the adjustments easier. It was also a matter of seeing if it interfered with his undercover duties or not. The firearm specialist first headed back to his division. Jaehwan was already by the office waiting.

“Oh finally, you’re back. All these stacks of papers have been driving me crazy and they don’t even have anything printed on them yet! I think I’m about to lose my mind.” Jaehwan dramatically complained as he pushed Ctrl + P to print out another monthly report from the computer. “You’re just being exceptionally lazy. Kang had a point of keeping everything off the digital database anyway.” The older replied as he browsed through the papers in his hands for the changes addressed to the firearm trade.

“Speaking of Kang... how’d it go?”Jaehwan asked while he wiggled his eyebrows and Seongwoo shot him a skeptical look, “What could possibly be interesting from being ordered around?” He said as he placed several of the papers on the desk. “Seriously? After he gave you that hint earlier? Thought he might have been an aggressive predator of some sort.” Jaehwan casually said as he looked through the papers.

“What the fuck Jaehwan? Get back to work.” He barked back with a commanding tone to shoot down Jaehwan’s disgusting fantasies. “Why would I bother telling you about those anyway? I wouldn’t even let you know shit, let alone my sex life.”

“Yeah, sure. Like how you look for one night stands to ‘relieve your stress’?” The younger capo shot back with an amused grin, “The fuck, have you been following me after work or something?!” Seongwoo practically shouted but he kept his anger in check. It was stressful to lead a double life as tight as this, the least he could have is some privacy when the sun sets to end the day.

Turns out, Jaehwan was smarter than he thought.

“Nope, but I’ve been suspicious about it so thanks for confirming it just now.” _This little brat―!_ Seongwoo pinched the bridge of his nose and took in a deep breath, this was least of his worries right now (even though he wanted to strangle that smirk off those mandu cheeks―) so he begrudgingly shrugged him off. “Fuck off, Jaehwan.”

Jaehwan gave him a smug expression while the older male could not resist taking out another cigarette to calm himself. He had some errands to do and he wouldn’t want to let trivial things get in the way of his work. “Oh, looks like we can sit back and relax” Jaehwan commented as he goes through the papers for any procedure modifications. “There aren’t any major changes to be made. Just route adjustments, nothing more.”

“Good, then I’ll go through that later. You handle it for now while I finish off today’s rounds. I still have to pass by the drugs department to hand over these instructions. Looks like Kang has big plans for them this time.”

“No problemo, consider it done.” Jaehwan confidently replied with a wave of his hand as if to emphasize the minority of the task. “Just make sure not to hurt yourself or Kang would be worried.” He playfully called out just as Seongwoo was making his way to the door.

“Fuck off.” Seongwoo glared as he released another puff of smoke to Jaehwan’s direction.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

By the time Seongwoo made it to the drugs department, it was already past twelve and he couldn’t be more thankful this was the last task for this morning. Maybe he could go grab some lunch and get to work so they could quickly adjust to the new trading routes.

When Seongwoo entered the headquarters, he didn’t expect to see the employees standing by the entrance while a tall male walked all over the place picking up various papers and going through the drug stash. The capo is left confused and recognized that the said tall boy was actually the one who stood by Daniel’s side when he met the capos in the backroom. _Must be affiliated with Kang then._ Seongwoo looked around and his eyes eventually landed on a familiar face and decided to approach the other who he recognized as Yoo.

“What’s going on here?” He said with his head cocked to the side as a gesture towards the boy rummaging through the entire room. “Kang sent him down to evaluate the whole department. Apparently, he had something else to attend to in the morning so he sent down this guy to check our current status. At least… that’s what the kid told us.” Seongwoo hummed as he looked at the boy who was yet to stop striding all over the room, the boy looked younger than Seongwoo thought when he first saw him. Most probably the youngest at the moment in this room though he can’t help but wonder just how young.

“So what brings you here? The firearms are quite a walk to the drugs.” Yoo said and Seongwoo snapped out of his thoughts. “Right. Kang told me to bring these over here. It’s the modifications for the stock handling and trading locations. Since it’s his department, it’s quite a list.” He said as he hands over the remaining papers to Yoo. “Shit, that’s a lot. He was dead serious about that reform. Guess that’s how much Seo made us hit rock bottom.” He muttered as he goes through the papers within the folder. “No kidding,  guess it’s going to be tough for you guys in the first few days.”

In the midst of their conversation, the boy tapped on Yoo’s shoulder and muttered permission to look through the folder. Yoo handed over the folder and the tall boy did a quick bow before he resumed going back and forth the room while reading through the contents of the papers.

The boy was probably a minor, fair and hella tall. Although he also seemed like the reserved type of guy, Seongwoo knew better than to look down on the kid. For all he knew, the kid could be a prodigy in what he does to be involved at such a young age and under the command of Kang. What are the chances the boy could be like his boss?

“I better get back to Kang, I was told to bring back the reports when I’m done. Do you have any I could bring?” Seongwoo said with an outstretched hand and Yoo instantly placed a thick manila envelope. “Reports all from the past twelve years. Though it may be the ones that fucker tampered to hide his records, that’s all the shit we’ve got down here.”

“If that’s all I can give, then he better not complain. He already exposed him anyway so he should have the originals by now.” He muttered as he flipped through the papers in the envelope. “Good luck with the adjustments then,” Seongwoo said as he made his way out after he did a quick wave goodbye.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

“Here.” Seongwoo simply said as he tossed manila envelopes onto the desk and it made Daniel blink at the bulks of paper. “And these are…?”

“The 12-month reports of each department as you requested during your little gathering,” The underboss hummed as he flipped through a random stack. “Didn’t think you’d collect it today, though the sooner it is the better. I should commend you for thinking ahead.” Seongwoo merely nodded in reply before he made his way out.

“Same thing tomorrow morning. But there’s a chance I’ll finally join you for the rounds. I need to see for myself if everything is in place.” Seongwoo stopped in his tracks and looked back at the underboss. “Just like how you should have earlier? Sure thing.” He nonchalantly replied with a small wave before he closed the door behind him.

Daniel couldn’t help but be intrigued by the ‘pretty boy’ who had an air of mystery to him. In a way, Daniel wanted to see more of what he could do and just how ‘skilled’ this pretty boy really was.

“Hey Jinyoung, what’s the closest small gang? I’m in the mood for a raid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I know it's kinda slow, that's what the slow burn tag is for lol. But with these kinds of aus, I think it's always best to keep it as realistic as possible without rushing anything. Because where's the fun in that hohoho no worries, there's more of Ongniel in the next chapters, I swear! 
> 
> 'til the next update :D


	4. Sparring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Foul language, Mild descriptions of violence (just sparring)

One bullet after another, one target is hit and the rest follow. This is what Ong Seongwoo did to relieve stress. The gun in his hand was more like an extension of his body rather than a separate entity. After he emptied out the gun magazine, he stopped; he didn’t want to be blamed for wasting their inventory. How could he not be in this state of strain when he was promised everything would go by faster with his affiliation with Daniel yet everything felt so much slower? 

Not only did he have no progress to report but he had to put up with some sexual harassment on the side, extra walking from all the rounds which he disliked extremely, and an even more annoying Jaehwan who has done nothing but complain. If he had his co-capo’s immaturity, he would rant as well. But he didn’t so he wouldn’t.

He walked away from the shooting range and was supposed to make his way to his office when the sight of the training grounds actually being put to use caught his attention. What piqued his interest was the fact that instead of a handful of trainees, usually new recruits, he found a lot if not all of the fighters were there being trained by Park Jihoon and Park Woojin. It’s a normal requirement to have training in the first few weeks. If you aren’t a natural, it might even take you a month. It was certainly intriguing that even experienced fighters are there. 

What’s even odder is that the moves they’re doing appear to be new techniques. As Seongwoo had gone also through this process, and occasionally they have to polish their skills, he was familiar with the actions yet what they were doing was completely foreign to him. It was then he decided to enter the training grounds and talk to the two men in charge.

“How’s it going?” Seongwoo asked, making the two fighters turn to his direction. Woojin shouts at them to continue their motions while their attention is diverted to Seongwoo.

“Kang already did the rounds here,” Jihoon said nonchalantly, hands interlocked behind his head. They were all so casual it was like they weren’t training people to beat (or maybe even kill) others up.

“Yeah, well I don’t get to go here much since he takes this route,” Seongwoo explained, trying to come up with better reasons to be here. “You know it’s been a while since I trained. Can’t I join you guys?”

“I guess we have room. But everyone has a partner already.” Woojin said. He may look like the tougher one between the two, but he was definitely the easier one to talk to.  Something about Jihoon’s happy exterior was off-putting and Seongwoo didn’t like it.

“Who needed a partner?” The three men turned their head to see it was none other than the new underboss approaching them.

“Seongwoo wanted to join our session but we don’t have anyone for him to spar with,” Woojin explained immediately. Well, he’s a smart kid and only a fool would not give Kang Daniel what he wanted when he asked for something.

“Well, why don’t we spar together?” Daniel said, smirking as if this was a trap he set and Seongwoo fell for him. With this guy’s credentials, he wouldn’t be surprised actually.

“I’d rather Jihoon or Woojin spar with me,” Seongwoo replied coolly. “They’re the fighting experts here.”

“Are you looking down on me?” Daniel asked with a smile that was anything but friendly.

“Just stating facts,” Seongwoo shrugged. Remember how Woojin was smart not to defy Daniel? At this moment, Seongwoo must have been the most stupid member of the gang. Yet somehow, he simply gave attitude to Daniel knowing he’d tolerate it. His instincts told him that this was one of that sick bastard’s kinks.

“Well, hot stuff,” Daniel was inches away from Seongwoo. He grabbed the older man’s chin and forced him to look him in the eyes. “Fortunately for you, I designed this new regimen myself so you’re going to learn from a firsthand expert at this routine.” Daniel harshly dropped his hold on Seongwoo’s face and took off his jacket.

“Better pick up the pace, hun, I felt stiff the past days and want a good sparring session,” Daniel said, his back turned to them as he stretched his long limbs. Seongwoo wanted to grab the nearest object and hurl it at the underboss. The nearest object to him was a dumbbell and although it would do some damage it would be (a) a bad idea to hurt him in front of everyone and (b) he probably couldn’t throw it in the first place because it was too heavy.

Seongwoo looked at the two men with identical surnames, but they looked like they lost interest in training him already. “You heard him,” Jihoon simply said and went back to training the combat team. Seongwoo sighed in defeat. A sparring session with Kang Daniel was the last thing he thought he’d be doing that day yet here he was. 

He guessed he could just observe his movements and conclude that whatever he would do, the others would be learning as well. He might as well pick up a few new moves along the way. Besides, instead of trying to gather information from the capos, he could ask the man himself though he had to be careful his curiosity isn’t translated as anything more than baseless questioning.

Seongwoo took a solid stance, anticipating Daniel to attack first and he didn’t really want to be unprepared because the younger man’s built gave him the obvious advantage. However, Daniel just stood there, his weight on one foot and hands on his hips like he was waiting for something. None of them made a move to change their positions so Daniel walked a little closer and spoke.

“Aren’t you going to stretch or something?” he asked his hyung, which took Seongwoo by surprise.

“Wh-what?” Seongwoo lowered his guard, but not too much.

“Look, I wouldn’t want you to pull a muscle, cutie.” Daniel deadpanned. “It’s better you stretch. And, let’s face it, I obviously have the upper hand here so I’m doing you a favor by giving you a chance to- woah!” Seongwoo suddenly aimed a kick for Daniel’s rib. A second too late and that would have hurt, but Daniel managed to hold his ankle.

“You talk too much,” Seongwoo spat.

“Did I hit a nerve?” Daniel smirked, tossing his ankle to the side and Seongwoo barely caught his balance.  _ That fucker, did he just chuckle?  _ Now Seongwoo grew irritated. The capo took in a deep breath and resumed his stance while the larger male smirked and even provoked with his fingers. For a moment, Seongwoo gauged their surrounding. The area was wide enough in case they did any drastic moves and that was surely more than enough. 

Without a second thought, Seongwoo charged first and threw a punch which Daniel easily dodged causing him to nearly stumble forward. But Seongwoo wasn’t letting him off easily. The weapon specialist twisted using his heel and quickly transitioned to a high reverse kick and a sweep along the floor to target his lower body but Daniel was just as quick with that annoying grin forever plastered onto his face that annoyed Seongwoo further.

“And what kind of moves are you pulling this from? Your ass?” Seongwoo challenged, hoping Daniel would take the bait and start talking more about the training reform.

“I thought you didn’t like it when I talked.” Daniel teased and cracked a few knuckles as if he was just warming up. Again, he smirked at the raven-haired male and took his position, “Now it’s my turn,”  Daniel suddenly executed a furious barrage of kicks with a surprising speed for someone as tall as him. Usually, people with long limbs would be a few seconds slower but Daniel was fast. 

Seongwoo hated to admit it but even he had a difficult time dodging. Luckily, he was just as fast to catch and parry some of the kicks. Daniel’s grin only seemed to grow the more Seongwoo avoided his attacks but the last surprise punch Seongwoo caught had him taking a step back because of the sheer power of it. 

The older male threw the arm to the side but Daniel barely looked fazed and instantly followed it with another punch.  Albeit tired, Seongwoo was able to stop the fist a few inches from his face as he gripped onto Daniel’s wrist. “Care to answer the question?” Seongwoo said, face to face with Daniel. He didn’t move, waiting for the other man’s response but Daniel was clearly enjoying their close proximity. The young underboss reached out to touch his and dared to lean closer, their cheeks brushing as Daniel whispered in Seongwoo’s ear.

“You smell like mint and cigarettes.” Daniel moved away from the older’s weakened hold on his wrist and pushed him back causing Seongwoo to stagger backward. “But if you must know, this style is actually a combination of my specialties: Hapkido and Taekkyon.” Seongwoo was vaguely familiar with the two styles. He remembered they were similar to each other but explored different kinds of strengths and had contrasting objectives. He made a mental note to research this further and let Minhyun and Jisung know about this once he understands exactly what they are and how Daniel managed to combine them into one.

The two proceeded onto their spar with several kicks and punches being thrown towards different parts of the body. Both were equally experienced albeit one was overpowering the other. But Daniel looked like he was having the time of his life. No one could match his skill back in Seoul since combat wasn’t much of a priority but Busan had an entirely different combat squadron. 

Daniel was impressed at Seongwoo’s skills considering that he was more of a weapons expert than a fighter, he was really holding his own. However, Daniel noted that he was a bit slower now than when they first started. Seongwoo’s breathing grew heavy. Although he tried to conceal it, Daniel picked up on the familiar sounds of panting which just made his smirk stretch further. 

“Tired already? I wished you had more endurance. I guess we can build that through other activities.” Daniel even had the nerve to wink at him suggestively. Seongwoo hoped no one was paying much attention to them. He didn’t want the underboss’ attention if it meant having to tolerate such comments. Seongwoo would gladly have just had a hard time gathering intel instead of getting easier access but having to put up with someone he found more annoying than Jaehwan (miraculous, really).

Seongwoo, clearly upset with how he was being treated, threw another punch towards Daniel’s face for the sake of bashing his face in. It was a predictable move, really, he only did it because Daniel was getting on his nerves― a talent he seemed to possess. Due to the predictability, Daniel evaded the attack and grabbed Seongwoo’s hands, placing them behind his back as he positioned himself there. Seongwoo squirmed in his grasp so Daniel pulled his hair back with his left hand forcing Seongwoo to halt his movements. Their bodies were pressed together and God forbid it was actually Daniel’s hard cock he was feeling against his hand. How he wished it was just the younger man's hand holding him in place but he could certainly tell the difference.  _ This piece of shit was actually taking pleasure in all of this!,  _ Seongwoo thought.

“You’re getting way too comfortable,” Seongwoo frowned.

“Oh, I’m just getting started,” Daniel said aloud. He then leaned in again to whisper in his ear, “Imagine how this could be in a closed room with just the two of us as witnesses.” Seongwoo was absolutely not going there. Since he couldn’t move his upper body, he gave Daniel a low kick while the other was distracted and it was enough to make Daniel let go. The older man instantly pulled at his arm enough to force Daniel’s grip to loosen on it and pushed his chest to send him staggering backward. Yet, Daniel looked highly amused and it prompted Seongwoo to try and throw another punch to wipe that grin off his face.

“Down, kitty,” Daniel whistled, clearly enjoying the torment he was putting Seongwoo through. As if to emphasize on the command, Daniel grabbed his collar just in time when Seongwoo aimed a punch on his side and mustered up a bit of strength to throw Seongwoo over his head making him land a little too hard on his back. That was definitely enough to knock the air out of his lungs.

At this point, Daniel was getting pretty bored and observed Seongwoo who was definitely worn out by now judging by how he kept panting as he got up from the floor. If he taunted Seongwoo, he definitely gave into it so he did so again and just as expected Seongwoo took the bait. The firearm capo made use of his long legs and imitated Daniel’s fury of kicks but the younger man was smarter than he anticipated. After dodging the first two kicks, Daniel caught the third kick mid-air and immediately puts a stop to the barrage.

Daniel secured Seongwoo’s leg by wrapping his left arm around the long limb and grabbing onto his shoulder. With Seongwoo caught off guard, Daniel makes use of the moment and threw Seongwoo down with his back to the floor and Daniel’s body hovering on top. He then grabbed Seongwoo’s wrists and placed them on either side of his face, thankfully his genetics allowed his limbs to reach that far. After making sure there was no escape for Seongwoo, he took his sweet time to look at the raven-haired man all disheveled and flushed out of exhaustion and smiled triumphantly. Who wouldn’t be? 

Well, there was the guy he was currently pinning down that didn’t look at all amused.

“Will you get off of me now?” Seongwoo asked threateningly. Daniel thought it was cute how he thought he could come off as scary. He placed his face mere centimeters from Seongwoo, noses barely touching, breaths sharing the same place.

“Only if you help me…  _ get off _ ,” Daniel said seductively. Seongwoo, being human, let his body betray him.  _ Damn it, that was hot,  _ he thought but Daniel should never know the idea came into his head. Seongwoo was thankfully put out of his misery when someone cleared their throat from behind them. Daniel rolled his eyes, ready to scold whoever intruded in his business. He stood up and was face to face with Guanlin, all annoyance faded from him.

“Jinyoung asked me to call for you,” the young (almost vampiric in Seongwoo’s opinion)  boy said.

“Thanks,” Daniel said with a nod, a signal the young boy took to leave. He looked over at the man he was pinning down just a few minutes ago and smirked. If Seongwoo wasn’t so tired he would have gone another round with this arrogant prick.

“Quite a show you put on,” just as Seongwoo labeled Daniel as the annoying prick, a tough contender made his presence known. None other than Kim Jaehwan was clapping his hands to mock Seongwoo. He then turned his attention to Daniel. “Kang, you never fail to impress me.”

“I know I’m all you wanted to be when you grew up, Jaehwan.” Daniel shrugged. Seongwoo couldn’t believe the both of them were talking so naturally. Well, Jaehwan did mention something about working together with him before so they must have hit it off pretty well. He figured that was the case since their annoying attitude polarized everyone but each other. Seongwoo stood up after catching his breath and wiped the sweat from his brow. How come Daniel wasn’t sweating at all?

“Why were you guys even sparring?” Jaehwan wondered.

“I wanted to relieve stress,” Daniel answered nonchalantly.

“Relieve stress? That isn’t how my buddy Ong relieves stress,” Jaehwan said. He looked like he was going to burst out laughing which was received weirdly since nothing humorous was mentioned at all.

“And how does your buddy Ong relieve stress?” Daniel wondered, eyeing Seongwoo up and down.

“Fucking,” Jaehwan laughed like a maniac, thinking his own joke was funny. Seongwoo glared at him but thought it was a waste of energy to communicate anything further. Daniel looked a little confused so Jaehwan decided to enlighten him. “He has a thing for one night stands, I can tell you that much.”

“Interesting,” Daniel muttered, his stare was focused on Seongwoo and it made the undercover cop fidget in discomfort.

“Isn’t Jinyoung calling from you as your little assistant said?” Seongwoo asked in an attempt to change the topic.

“Oh right,” Daniel said. “He’ll probably disclose the details of the raid I asked him to plan. The raid that you’re coming with me on.”

“Why in the hell would I come with you?” Seongwoo asked disgustedly.

“Well, I need someone good with a gun and after evaluating your skill level I know you won’t drag me down since you’re fairly capable of defending yourself in close combat as long as you keep your emotions away from your head,” Daniel commented. He actually noticed other things in the short time he’s been sparring with Seongwoo but he doubts the small group they're going to raid would be as sharp as him in analyzing those movements.

“But-”

“No buts,” Daniel interrupted. “After I get the information from Jinyoung, I’ll notify you the place and time we’re going to meet. That’s final.” Without another word, Daniel walked away from the training grounds.

“I can’t believe that guy,” Seongwoo cursed behind the silver-haired male’s back. It was annoying enough that he was cocky but it was the fact that he really had something to boast about that made it all the more irritating.

“Yeah, I can’t believe he’d fuck you, too. I can basically smell the after sex in the air and you guys haven’t even had sex yet.” The ass with a mouth said. Seongwoo wished he didn’t empty the magazine of that gun earlier cos now he would like to shoot Jaehwan and then himself. To avoid killing anyone within a 15-meter radius from him, Seongwoo decided to call it a day and get out there to do what he usually did when something was causing him stress.

“Where ya headed?” Jaehwan asked, but Seongwoo ignored him. However, the human parakeet didn’t need any confirmation as his raven-haired companion’s body language revealed his intentions. Seongwoo didn’t even bother to change his clothes. He was sure his dark pants and white V-neck was enough for the casual bar he usually visited during times as taxing as now. 

The bar he frequented played indie songs while their patrons flocked to the dance floor to move their limbs uncoordinatedly. He took a sip of his rum and coke, admiring the crowd but trying to look for anyone that would catch his attention. Seated in a booth by himself was a young-looking blond man that he thought had a mischievous smile. Seongwoo wondered how long he’d been staring. He downed his drink and left some bills on the table. Without breaking eye contact, he walked toward where the man sat and took a seat across from him.

“I thought you’d never notice,” the stranger spoke. It had been a while since Seongwoo handled someone who talked to him first.

“How could I not have seen such a charming face in a terrible bar?” Seongwoo smirked.

“If it was so terrible then why are you here?” the stranger countered, placing his elbows on the table and leaning closer. Seongwoo mimicked his actions.

“You really want to know why?” Seongwoo teased. The stranger didn’t speak with his mouth, rather he let his eyes do the talking.  _ Do tell.  _ “This is going to sound lame but, there was something pulling me to come in and I guess that magnet was you.”

“You’re right,” the stranger broke into a smile. “That did sound lame.” Seongwoo blushed a little and tried to laugh off his pitiful line. Was he losing his touch? This usually worked, though. “This bar is also pretty lame. Any idea where else we can go?” Now Seongwoo like where this was going.

 

“I know a motel that always has an available room.”

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

“What have you got, Jinyoung?” Daniel entered the computer lab as per the computer specialist’s request.

“You wanted to conduct a small raid so I narrowed down the choices to one. It’s incredibly favorable seeing as it’s just a small group watching their inventory.” Jinyoung said, not even looking away from the screen filled with data. Sometimes Daniel wondered if his eyes ever strained but he wasn’t about to allow concern to reign just because Jinyoung was years younger than him.

“And why would only a small group be watching their inventory?” Daniel questioned. Honestly, that sounded like the most stupid idea ever so this gang may not even be worth raiding if they use tactics like that.

“Actually, it’s supposed to be a big group watching their common drugs but after hacking their database I found that there are three major transactions to be scheduled on the same day so they have to split up. Besides, they’re too comfortable with the idea that they hide their inventory in an abandoned building so no one would bat an eye.” Jinyoung finished. Daniel weighed the information in his head. Truth be told, he wasn’t exactly impressed with their strategy. It looked like the stars aligned to make the raid possible.

“So when are their transactions taking place?” Daniel asked.

“Tomorrow,” Jinyoung said. Daniel clicked his tongue. He didn’t expect it to be that soon but he could work with that easily. “It’s best you do it tomorrow. If their gang is complete they’re pretty hard to deal with.”

“Well, they won’t be complete and I doubt they’re good at all if they have a plan as dumb as that.” Daniel belittled. He could envision grabbing the drugs from their inventory without even needing to spill blood.

“Actually―”

“Are you saying I can’t do it?” Daniel challenged but Jinyoung wasn’t so intimidated. He was a pretty blank slate so even if he was he certainly didn’t show it.

“Not alone,” Jinyoung simply replied.

“I won’t be.” And with that final statement, Daniel left the lab in search of his boy toy. He dropped by the firearms department but was only greeted by Jaehwan rummaging through papers he clearly didn’t organize and didn’t expect to before he came along. “Where’s pretty boy?”

“Oof―” Jaehwan hit his head on the desk lamp after being startled by Daniel’s deep voice. “He already left after your tango.”

“Went home already?” the silver-haired male cocked his head to the side. It was pretty early if you asked him.

“If home is a run-down motel and fucking another stranger even though it’s nasty to catch an STD in this economy, then yes,  _ pretty boy  _ went home,” Jaehwan said sarcastically. What was it with everyone Daniel interacted with giving him some sort of attitude? He glared at Jaehwan which effectively put the blabbermouth in place. He left their department and decided to leave a detailed message about what to bring when they meet tomorrow at 10 pm in front of the warehouse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess you could say the plot starts to pick up from here. But for now, have a bit of Ongniel ;) Yeah the progress is slow but lez be real, it's better that way than to rush things, right? Hopefully, you can look forward to the future chapters. It's already obvious what's the first thing that's about to happen for this story. Look forward to it :D


	5. The Raid pt.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Foul language, Mild violence (Just one scene), Drug References

Seongwoo inhaled the cancerous stick between his lips. He took a blow and admired how the smoke mixed with the moonlit haze. It was way too late to be up but Daniel wanted the raid to be late at night. Of course, it was almost 11 pm yet the silver-haired underboss was nowhere to be found. Seongwoo wanted to skin the man alive but allowed himself to smoke in order to prevent him from getting violent.

“Hey there, pretty boy,” Daniel said, grabbing Seongwoo’s cigarette and taking a drag himself again before throwing it on the ground.

“You’re late,” Seongwoo growled in irritation. Daniel didn’t seem too bothered by the threatening tone.

“You were late yesterday so I thought I’d give you the memo earlier.” Daniel shrugged like he didn’t waste nearly an hour of Seongwoo’s time. Of course, Seongwoo was just wasting more time if he was letting Daniel get to him so he cooled down and ignored the guy. Daniel, however, was opposite to Seongwoo’s lack of care to him. If anything, he was paying extra attention to the older man. “You’re a bottom?”

“What the fuck?” Seongwoo said so quick you could mistake him for a rapper. “What the fuck do you mean, Kang?” Daniel stared at him, expression completely blank. He pointed to his own neck and Seongwoo looked to the spot he was being asked to look on his own body. “Fuck, I didn’t think he’d give me a hickey. Damn it,” Seongwoo grumbled more about letting his guard down and hating the fact that he’d been marked since it left evidence of his late-night escapade.

While Seongwoo was stating several derogatory terms at the man he had sex with last night and at himself for allowing this to slip by, unbeknownst to him was Daniel staring at him. If you asked him, he knew he was hot but the raven-haired man was like on a totally different level. A face fit for a God and a body he definitely wanted to explore. Daniel was getting hard just thinking about him.

But he couldn’t fully enjoy the excitement in his pants since he could feel at the pit of his stomach a mild sense of jealousy. He wasn’t jealous of the fact that someone had marked his boy toy, fuck no. He just thought he could have done a way better job of marking Seongwoo. He could also do a better job fucking him and was upset that he still hasn’t was all. Yeah, that was it.

“Are you done talking to yourself?” Daniel insulted. “We have a raid to do.”

“And where is everyone else?” Seongwoo asked, ignoring the insult.

“This is everyone else,” Daniel stated firmly. When Seongwoo expressed confusion, Daniel continued, “It’s just you and me, baby.”

“Quit joking around, how the fuck do you do a raid with just two people?” Seongwoo growled in irritation but Daniel merely smirked. “I’ve done this more than you can count. Besides, you’re more than capable to handle yourself. I mean, look at all the firearms you have on you.” Daniel said as he gestured at Seongwoo’s form clad in different kinds of firearms such as the two guns on both leg holsters and the various mini bombs he had hanging on his belt. Daniel wouldn’t be surprised if he still had more hidden beneath that black jacket of his.

“It’s just a small group, currently scattered around so they shouldn’t be at their strongest. But if you aren’t so confident then fine, here.” Daniel took out two bulletproof vests from the back of a parked car and wore the other underneath his own black jacket. “Never been shot. Don’t need it.” Seongwoo nonchalantly replied while loading the magazines of his pistols before putting them back in his leg holsters.

“Suit yourself,” Daniel shrugged as he wore his black snapback. “Well, shall we proceed?”

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

The plan was simple.

Seongwoo just needed to detonate one of his mini bombs near their abandoned building. It was a pretty remote area so no one would be nearby within a three-kilometer radius. If a bomb were to go off near their territory, then it would be enough to cause a frenzy. While everyone was away, the two would swoop in, get as much loot as they can, and escape through the underground parking garage.

At least that was how Daniel pictured it. The young underboss was hidden by the bushes near the back entrance. Just as he thought, only a few people guarded the perimeter of the back since it was a remote area after all. It’s been at least half an hour since Seongwoo left to trigger the explosion as a distraction but Daniel was growing impatient. Good thing he didn’t have to wait for long.

The firearm capo was finally back, eyes hidden behind his black snapback similar to Daniel to conceal their faces. “Took you long enough,” Daniel simply said without averting his gaze from the guards stationed at the entrance. Yet the older man simply sat down beside Daniel as if he didn’t have some important task to accomplish.

“Still want to go through with the raid? I thought I asked you to set up a bomb so we can get in.” Daniel said, patience wearing thin. Seongwoo continued to press buttons on a small controller connected to the mini-bombs he planted earlier. “What now?”

“You’ll know when you hear it,” Seongwoo said harshly, already annoyed that the underboss couldn’t keep his cool.

“Hear what?” Daniel asked but before Seongwoo could reply they heard a small blast go off in the distance. Seongwoo looked at Daniel triumphantly, hoping to shut him up but staying quiet never really worked for Daniel. “Well you aren’t one for subtlety, I’ll give you that… not in your sex life, either.” The last part of the statement was supposed to be for Daniel only but Seongwoo had good ears and caught onto what the silver-haired man was saying.

“Is this about the hickey?” Seongwoo leered, eyebrows snapping together. “Seriously? At a time like this?” Daniel just shrugged at his partner’s irritation while Seongwoo rolled his eyes for the nth time that day.

Daniel led the infiltration. The two capos had their own respective guns loaded and drawn as they carefully approached the side of the building. The explosion was enough to throw the group into a catastrophic state and unintentionally left the back entrance open. Majority of the people ran towards the explosion while others retreated into the building to either report the incident or look for their respective weapons to join the fray.

Seongwoo looked at both directions with his gun held in front of him as he and Daniel make quick steps and hid behind a stack of large boxes. Just in time for a minority of the previous guards to venture out into the forest to join the hunt for the intruders. The capo glanced at his watch, it’s only been three minutes so they were left with plenty of time.

“I stationed three bombs around the perimeter, the explosion I activated was the first,” He said to the silver-haired underboss to fill him in on the impromptu plans. “How long ‘til the next explosion?” As expected, Daniel caught on to it quicker than anticipated. “Seven minutes. They’re set to explode in ten-minute intervals.”

“As expected, you were more than capable to do this. You should try joining me more often.” Daniel suggested with a wink and Seongwoo doesn’t know whether to feel complimented or disgusted. Probably the second option. “30 minutes... Sounds long enough. If we can get to their stocks before the third bomb goes off then we can escape with three minutes to spare.”

“Question is where the stocks are”

“That… won’t be a problem” Seongwoo raised an eyebrow out of curiosity but Daniel merely responds with a confident smirk. “The building only has three floors. Judging by the exterior and what the sound echoing from below is, it also has an underground parking garage.”

“So?”

“So,” Daniel continued with a quick glance at his surroundings, “We can make use of the underground parking garage as an escape route. For now, we need to get to the second floor.” The young underboss said as he stood back up and positioned himself on one side of the door frame. The older capo followed suit, gun raised in a similar fashion as he stationed himself on the opposite side. “What’s on the second floor?” He asked just as Daniel peeped to the next room, though he was only met with silence and an area filled with various crates and staircase on the far most left.

Kang gestured for Seongwoo to stay close behind him and watch his back while he went inside and carefully looked at his surroundings. Footsteps and voices were echoing around the building but it was difficult to distinguish where. They had to be vigilant in case they encountered a hostile therefore they kept their guns raised as they made their way through the room.

“They’re a small group. Normally they’d go through drastic measures to hide all the drug stocks that they have, but this is a remote area. The need to hide drugs in a well-planned manner isn’t completely necessary. So they would most probably bring it to the top floor as the safest option.

“But Jinyoung found out their business and primary source of finances was their vast numbers of drug cartels and stocks. Meaning, they would normally possess more stocks than an average group would. If that was the case, their deliveries would always weigh more than they could carry so they could only carry so much. If they just wanted to keep those piles of euphoria out of sight, then the second floor should be enough to ward off any suspicion.”

The boy was smarter than he thought. “Then what about the third floor?”

Daniel only shrugged in response. “Could be anything at this point. Maybe a lounge or a storage room for something else. Let’s just hope there aren’t any people present on the third floor. Escaping would be difficult if there were people coming from above and below”

The two remained silent after that, both keeping their eyes trained forward. Although the warehouse should ideally be empty because of the number of people who left, the silence was unsettling as they made their way to the next corridor.

This was Daniel’s least favorite part of the infiltration as it bore him. Someone like him was flashy, comfortable with all eyes on him. However, sneaking into the building required stealth. It was never a question of whether he could do it or not since he most definitely can. This particular part just never piqued his interest. Yet here he was, sneaking in from the back door with his partner after the men standing guard went to investigate the small bomb that went off in the forest.

Inside, it was more obvious the intentions for the building was somewhat of an open-planned office so not much walls were put up. There were scattered cubicles here but not a single one of them was completely finished. At the end of the building was a big desk, likely where a boss would have sat to observe his workers and right behind that was their stairway to heaven. The stairs were quite a distance away and at the left was a large window. That’s too many things to look out for all at once but there was no other way. With a sigh, Daniel took a step back and stopped just beside Seongwoo to minimize the need for talking out loud. Yet, both were cautious enough to keep their stance and gazes forward.

“Just as I thought, the only way up is through the stairs. Any sign of movement?” Seongwoo waited for at least 10 seconds while he looked around their current perimeter. “Nothing threatening at the back.”

“Good, they aren’t back yet.” The underboss took a moment to look at the next corridor and took a few steps back and stopped just beside Seongwoo so that none of them could be heard. “There’s a large window up ahead and the stairs are a bit far. We’ll never know if someone could come down—”

“So you need me to keep an eye out on the window while you focus on the stairs?” Seongwoo interjected, Daniel smirked at the older man’s quick analytical skills. “Pretty and smart, what a great bonus,” Seongwoo groaned with a matching eye roll.

The two capos dropped to a crouching position and walked slowly, wary of anything that could make noise along the way. They made it to the desk when they heard someone descend from the stairs so they quickly hid underneath.

“Stupid piece of shit the acting leader is.” A member of the gang they were infiltrating grumbled. “Why couldn’t he go down here instead?” He stood by the stairs and remained. It looked as though he wasn’t going to move from his spot any time soon and they only had roughly five minutes left before the second bomb detonates.

“Hey tiger, watch my back alright?” Daniel whispered in Seongwoo’s ear. For a moment, the older man was a little confused but had no time to ponder his puzzled thoughts because Kang was up and vaulted over the desk.

“Impulsive bastard,” Seongwoo muttered. He drew his gun and had it pointed at the gang member patrolling the stairs. He hadn’t seen much of the prior action but he was sure Daniel had a few punches connect. While Daniel was avoiding counters from the gang member, Seongwoo looked to the entrance and even the stairs to check if anyone was coming because they were so fucked if anyone was.

But after a loud crack echoed in the room, the only thing he heard was Daniel’s heavy breathing.

Seongwoo adjusted his eyes in the poorly lit area and found the gang member lying in his back, no signs of life showing. Meanwhile, he found Daniel slightly disheveled, rubbing his hands together like a quick motion against something had burned them through friction. He was a trained undercover cop, he knew when a man had killed another with his bare hands. Daniel’s eyes looked a little proud and he even had a small smile on his face.

“Did you see me, babe?” Daniel was definitely proud.

“Be quiet,” Seongwoo said, ignoring his rhetorical question. “Let’s get upstairs before someone realizes we’re inside or the second bomb goes off.” The weapon specialist doesn’t bother to look back as he took the lead to the stairs while Daniel was left huffing at the ignored display of power. “Oh c’mon, that was pretty cool” He mumbled as he took over the lead and cautiously ascended the stairs. Luckily, only one of them was told to attend an errand and so they didn’t encounter anyone else.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

Daniel kept his aim forward as Seongwoo had the back. The second bomb just went off, meaning they only had 20 minutes left and they needed to move faster if they didn’t want to get caught. Daniel looked ahead at the next hall and found some henchmen were guarding a particular door. Daniel’s best bet was that it was an important room. Could it be drugs? It could be where the monitors connected to the cameras are, as well.

Seongwoo tapped Daniel’s shoulder to give him the message that more people were coming this way. With the space and number of people they had to work with, it was best not to choose this battle. Daniel looked around and saw a door near the beginning of the hall. He pointed his head in that direction and they went inside as stealthily as they could. Unexpectedly, it was a door for storing old cleaning supplies so the area wasn’t very generous.

The firearm capo could basically feel Daniel’s breath down his neck and it was the most uncomfortable thing ever. Feeling playful despite the situation, Daniel put his hands on either side of Seongwoo’s head and leaned a little closer, nose touching his black hair. Seongwoo elbowed his side and if it wasn’t for the bulletproof vest, it would have hurt a lot more than it did. It was dark, but the older man hoped the unnecessarily flirtatious underboss could feel his glare.

“Kang, if you don’t fucking stop I’ll―!” Daniel covered his mouth and held his jaw before Seongwoo could finish. Seongwoo’s initial instinct was to squirm free from that grasp (and the breath beating down his neck), but the echoing footsteps of more than three people were enough to make him freeze in place.

“Another one?! Just how many are they?”

“No clue, the others haven’t reported.”

“We were told to join the investigations to make progress faster, but the security could grow thin if more of us left.”

“We have no choice, they shouldn’t be too far. Let’s hurry before things take a turn for the worst.”

Soon enough, the footsteps faded into the distance until silence took over the area. Daniel and Seongwoo remained still, hands still clenched around Seongwoo’s jaw. After a full minute of silence, the older man yanked off Daniel’s hand and shot him a glare before he opened the door of the storage room. Daniel only chuckled at the response before taking the first step out of the small space.

Daniel practically smiled in triumph at the unguarded door probably because of the panic induced by the second detonation. “We need to be quick, it won’t be long ‘til they realize they left it unguarded.” Just as Seongwoo stepped out, a loud voice echoed through the staircase.

“Holy shit! It’s Baek! Baek is down!”

“What the fuck! They’re in here!”

“Quick! Run back and report this!”

Daniel and Seongwoo instantly looked at each other with eyes as wide as saucers. “You didn’t hide the body?!” Seongwoo hissed at the much taller male who looked equally surprised, “I didn’t think they’d find it so soon!” If that wasn’t the stupidest thing Seongwoo heard today, then he doesn’t know what was, “You're supposed to hide it regardless you idiot!” Daniel should have known better since he has done this a number of times by now. Of all the times he could possibly commit a mistake, it just had to be a crucial one.

“Well, fuck it! I can’t just go back down there and put him aside now can I?! They're already aware of our presence so just move!” The silver-haired male hissed back as he pushed Seongwoo forward. The underboss felt rather pissed he ended up committing such a rookie mistake but they couldn’t do anything about it now. Hopefully, the second and third detonation would be enough to keep them occupied. But if the drugs were their primary source of money, then chances of them being caught definitely increased three-fold.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

Minjae was practically used to this routine every single day by now. Every day, it was always the usual set-up: every meal on the same table in the same room while being surrounded by multiple screens of various CCTV's all day and all night. The description was as dull as the job itself, nothing interesting has happened ever since he even started the job.

Even now, when the whole group is executing a protocol for unknown attack and threats, his only task in every single protocol is to stay put and keep an out for unknown figures in the cameras. Simple yet boring, Minjae always wished he could do more than just sit around and watch.

“Why can’t I go out and do some action? I could practically do better than those guys who play cards all day…” He muttered to himself as he goes over the monitors for the nth time that day. The hectic steps and yelling of the other members repeatedly echo throughout the hallway and again, he is left wishing he could experience that kind of adrenaline. Well, he didn’t think that adrenaline would find him so soon.

The door suddenly burst open, and one of the three squad leaders enter in stride towards the young man lounging around on his reclining chair. “Search through the cameras. Baek’s down.” Minjae raised an eyebrow and sat up, “And by down you mean…?”

“Dead.”

Well, that was definitely not what he expected.

“His body was found just now right below the staircase, it hasn’t been long since he was tasked to check on the situation. Check the cameras within the last hour” As expected, the interim leader has always been straight to the point so Minjae didn’t waste any more time. It was a dire situation after all. The young man rolls his chair over to one of the monitors on the bottom right and scanned through the last hour of the footage.

Nothing out of the ordinary. “Wait.” The older man said and leaned a little forward. “Rewind for around 10 seconds and play it with half of the original speed.” And so he did, Minjae replayed the video and half the speed and let the interim leader look over the details repeatedly until he finally found a clue.

“Wait,” The older man said with a jerk and rewound once more before pausing on a slightly blurred frame. The details would have looked the same if it weren’t for a quick black blur that passed by the corner of the camera. It was without a doubt, the silhouette of a human head with a snapback on. “Intruders.” He muttered under his breath and Minjae cursed at the discovery. “They know the blind spots…”

“Then we aren’t dealing with ordinary bandits… these guys are most likely experienced. Minjae,”

“Yes, sir?”

“Ring an alarm for intruders. Today’s a Code Red.” The young lad wordlessly got up from his seat and typed in a few passwords for the final switch. “Already on it boss.” He declared as he pushed down the red button to sound the alarms.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

“Stand guard, gun aimed forward,” Daniel commanded as he got down on one knee. He brought out his swiss army knife and entered the screwdriver head into the lock. After working his magic, the door opened easily and they entered the previously guarded room. The firearm capo locked the doors behind him while Daniel rummaged through the various contents of the crates. Seongwoo hasn’t always been too knowledgeable of these things, but Daniel was beyond ecstatic as he raised a pouch of white powder between them.

“Jackpot,” He triumphantly declared with a victorious smirked and a hand on his hips. Meanwhile Seongwoo, eyebrow raised and a hand on his own hip, looked bored out of his mind. “Is this what you brought us here for? A plastic bag of baby powder? Seriously?” Although Seongwoo looked utterly confused, Daniel looked like a child who received the best present for Christmas.

“Right, not your area of specialty. You wouldn’t know what it is. This,” Daniel said with a chuckle as he pocketed some of the stocks. “It's Ecstasy. One of man’s best friends if they wished to... have a good time.” Daniel grinned at the implication while Seongwoo looked completely dumbstruck. This guy, his boss and the biggest pain in the ass, went for a raid for the sake of stealing one of the most accessible drugs in the world. He could literally just get some from their reserves, this fucking cheap ass underboss.

“You seriously just dragged us all the way here to steal a bunch of crap?!” The firearm specialist wouldn’t, or rather he couldn’t understand. For a moment, he forgot they were on foreign territory but he was so ready to burst. Before any of them could make a move, the lights within the vicinity shifted to red as a loud siren echoed through the building. “Fuck,” Seongwoo muttered as he swiftly loaded all the guns on his body. “Looks like our times up,”

“I’m not finished yet, love.” Daniel whistled. “I know they’re still hiding something.” The underboss took several bags of ecstasy and put it in various pouches on his belt and bag. At one of the shelves was an oddly smaller box then the rest. Daniel took it as a sign that this was either hard to come by or in demand as there must always be little supply.

“Any fucking time now?” Seongwoo hissed, foot tapping impatiently on the ground.

“Patience princess,” Daniel purred. He opened the box and laughed victoriously. Seongwoo just thought the man was insane. Maybe he might even be under the influence of drugs as they were on this raid. “We got Mescaline!”

“Mescaline?” Seongwoo asked. He didn’t even know why he was entertaining the guy by showing interest.

“From cacti all the way in South America.” Daniel grinned, bagging their whole supply. “Extremely hard to cultivate and my personal favorite.”

“Okay, can we go now?” Seongwoo asked. He kind of sounded like a kid that didn’t want to spend any more time t the grocery store looking at dairy products.

“Why are you in such a rush?” Daniel asked, now close to him. “Aren’t you having fun, kitten?”

“Fun?” Seongwoo scoffed. “You expect me to have fun when our lives are in danger all because you didn’t hide the body like some amateur?”

“Oh, I’m sorry how many raids have you been in again?” Daniel answered, poking a finger in Seongwoo’s chest. “That was a one-time thing. Won’t happen again. If it’s such an issue why couldn’t you have hidden it? Because it’s a hassle, right?”

“Really? You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Seongwoo was so close to punching this guy it hurt for his fist to not connect to that smug face. “After what we have to go through now, you really think that hiding the body is a bigger hassle?”

“The past is in the past, okay?” Daniel raised his voice. He absolutely hated it when he was being criticized or looked down on, even though Seongwoo had a point, the feeling still didn’t sit well with him. “Nothing can be done now.”

“The hickey on my neck is in the past yet you had the nerve to say something about it,” Seongwoo mumbled but Daniel had incredible hearing.

“What the fuck?” Daniel was defensive now, not wanting to lose arguments. He had to hand it to the guy, Seongwoo was incredibly witty and that both made him admire and despise him.

“Alright, let’s just stop arguing!” Seongwoo shouted, choosing to be the mature one of the two seeing as Daniel wouldn’t step up to it. “Need I remind you that we have to escape? We have the drugs so let’s make our getaway.”

“Fine, let’s go,” Daniel grumbled, bumping into Seongwoo’s shoulder on the way out of the supply room. For a short moment, the undercover cop thought about shooting him in the head but refrained. Now was not the time for reckless actions, something the silver-haired underboss seemed to be very good at. Instead, Seongwoo settled with roll his eyes at the man who was acting childish for his age.

 

Unfortunately, fate seemed to take a turn for the worst.

 

Just as they were about to make their way out, the door burst open and several men ran into the room forcing the duo to cover each other’s backs and guns once again raised in the air.

 

 

“Intruders found in the main storage!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Friday, another update! lolz
> 
> I guess you could say this is where some of the action starts? Idk lol but Daniel was insistent on that raid so here's a chapter showcasing their specialties! Kind of like showing new sides of these characters I guess. Hope you can all look forward to the future updates~
> 
> twt: loveongnieI , ShirayukiSayaka


	6. The Raid pt.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Foul Language, Sexual References, Violence

“Kang you fucking dick I can’t believe you risked our lives for this,” Seongwoo grumbled next to Daniel’s ear, not daring to take his eyes off of the five henchmen that have cornered them in the dimly lit storage room.

“Yes, my dick fucks but no, our lives aren’t at stake,” Daniel argued back. He really didn’t like the attitude his supposed human plaything was exuding. He honestly thought things would be easier for them but he just had to pick a dog that barks and bites. “Look at these dimwits.”

“We’re right here you fucking asshole.” One of the henchmen growl but Daniel couldn’t give more of a damn.

“Plenty of experience my ass,” Seongwoo continued showing irritation.

“Oh, gladly,” Daniel directed the reply to him. He didn’t like the position they were in as much as the firearm capo but it was a situation he had no choice but to work with.

“Are you both really going to disrespect us by continuing whatever weird flirting you have going on?” Another henchman spat.

“Weird flirting?” Seongwoo’s voice raised. “What the actual fuck? You have a weird definition of flirting, buddy.”

“Calm down Ong,” Daniel said. He then turned his attention to the men in front of them. “Hey, do you mind? I’m trying to get in this dude’s pants and you guys aren’t exactly helping my cause so shut up.” Strangely, Daniel’s aura of authority carried on all the way here so as to nearly influence another gang. Seongwoo saw it, too, how they faltered for a moment, afraid of what Daniel might do to them but soon after they regained their confidence.

“The cocksucker actually has the balls to talk to us like that?” The first henchmen said but his voice was obviously wavering. Even in the dim light, Daniel’s piercing gaze struck their core.

Daniel knew he had to get the both of them out of the predicament he managed to put them into. Without lowering his gun, he slowly walked forward so as to block Seongwoo from their aim. His eyes darted left and right, scanning the room in case he could make use of his resources and like reloading his gun, everything just clicked.

“Who you calling a cocksucker?” Daniel’s eyebrow arched. “That’ll actually be the dashing older man behind me when this raid is over.”

“Give me a good reason why I shouldn’t shoot you right now.” Seongwoo gritted his teeth. He knew he should have taken the shot earlier.

“Because I’m about to save our asses so be prepared for me to eat yours,” Daniel said and it sent shivers down Seongwoo’s spine. It was revolting to think of. But, Kang was a man of his word and a second later the lights of the storage room were out.

Daniel had shot the fluorescent light, thus making the room consumed in darkness. Immediately, he turned and tackled Seongwoo to the ground all the while knocking down a table for cover from the disoriented henchmen shot bullets here and there. “Stay down!” Daniel warned as he held the older man to the floor and Seongwoo knew it wasn’t the time to argue. Yet, the younger man had other plans.

Daniel stayed down and crawled forward. If memory serves him right, then the metal shelf should be around here― Bingo. Once the shots died down, the henchmen started to scramble in the darkness and the young underboss thought it was the perfect chance to escape. The underboss grabbed the side of the shelf and pushed it forward causing it to stumble down onto the confused henchmen followed by a string of indecipherable curses.

Before Seongwoo could process what was happening, Daniel pulled him up to his feet and made a mad dash through the door. The next thing he knew, the light was once again visible in the dimly lit corridor as they ran to escape.

They made it down the stairs onto the first floor. Seongwoo knew that things were going to go according to plan now so they needed to head over to the underground parking garage to make their escape. However, it seemed like the underboss had other plans in mind.

“Okay, to get to the stairs you have to take a right and then left. You can’t miss them because you’ll spot the railings.” Daniel said, turning back upstairs but Seongwoo grabbed his wrist to stop him from going away.

“And where the fuck are you going?” Seongwoo harshly whispered. He still had to be cautious because this place could be crawling with other gang members.

“Aw, are you going to miss me, babe?” Seongwoo’s face showed no emotion aside from wanting to punch the smug look on Kang’s face. “If you must know about my intentions, I happened to spot some good weapons while we were hiding in that small closet space and I want to go back and get it.”

“Your materialistic ass is going to cost us, you know that right?” Seongwoo spat. He just couldn’t believe how Daniel was so at ease at another gang’s territory.

“Just meet me down there, I won’t take long princess,” Daniel said, brushing a hand on Seongwoo’s cheek. He swatted the silver-haired man’s hand away immediately.

“It’s your death wish, not mine,” Seongwoo said and went off in the direction he was told.

“Seriously, what is he thinking?” He irritably mumbled to himself as he descended the stairs. But he had other things to worry about, this was still enemy territory after all. The fireman specialist kept his gun up and took silent steps. Although the dim lighting was advantageous for hiding, it still served as a double-edged sword since he himself couldn’t tell if there was anyone else there.

The underground parking was dark, not a single light bulb in sight. The only thing illuminating the open space was the moonlight seeping in through the cracks and windows.  So Seongwoo tucked himself into a corner to stay out of sight and the light. The more he stayed out of the moonlight, the better. The prick was definitely taking his time.

“... Where the hell―”

“Were there any updates?” Seongwoo froze. Two men suddenly entered the area and were making their way towards the stairs.

“Last thing they said was there were two lil fuckers spotted in the storage, probably used the explosions as a distraction.” _Well shit, looks like the third detonation isn’t going to buy us some time anymore. That bastard better hurry up._

He needed to stay away from the two. If they found Daniel, the underboss was more than capable of handling them anyway. Seongwoo took cautious steps. With every step they took, Seongwoo silently slid to the right all the while keeping himself in the shadows.

“Useless assholes, it takes them this long to find two people?!”

“You know how the rookies are, they’re too lax for this shit.”

“Got that right, I should teach those punks a lesson.”

Not long after, the two were already at the bottom of the stairs while Seongwoo was so close to the doorway. Just a few more steps and he could wait for Daniel outside. He can see if he needed help anyway. This was easier than he thought…

… Until a cocked gun was pressed to his temple. Seongwoo held his breath, not daring to look to his right. Not with a barrel pressed against his head.

“Where do you think you’re going, punk?” _Great. What timing._ Before the two could look back, Seongwoo ducked and elbowed the man forcing him to double over. The raven-haired man shot two warning shots in their direction to prevent them from coming any closer but the large male beside him recovered faster than he thought. The larger thug grabs him by the waist and threw him back to the center of the room. Luckily, he was able to somersault in the air and landed on his feet. With all his guns hidden and loaded, Seongwoo stood back up now with guns on both hands pointed towards his left and right.

“Oh, would you look at that, the bitch thinks he looks threatening with his guns.”

“Check out his face though, I want to wreck it.”

Seongwoo didn’t bother holding back his urge to roll his eyes. _It’s always the face._

Three consecutive shots went off and the three look back to Seongwoo with smoke now coming out of the barrels. “Why you fucking bitch!” The three simultaneously lunged at him but Seongwoo was agile. The capo sidestepped and rolled back before he fired more shots. He couldn’t risk doing close range, one was no match for three. Especially when that ‘one’ was Ong Seongwoo. He just needed to fight as much as he can until Daniel came.

Well, it sounded easier said than done.

Seongwoo didn’t shoot to kill, it could end badly and might be interpreted as a declaration of war (even if Daniel was already idiotic enough to kill one earlier). But his endurance was wearing thin. The guys were fast, fast enough to dodge his shots and get close but Seongwoo would give them a roundhouse kick whenever they got too close.

But one of them got too close and Seongwoo barely dodged the fist thrown at him. The capo hooked his arm around the man and used him as a human shield once the two grew impatient enough to draw their guns. Seongwoo fired another two shots and managed to graze their legs enough to make them kneel. The capo then kicked his human shield causing him to tumble over to the two others.

Seongwoo grew tired. Breathing all heavy and arms trembling in exhaustion but he kept his guns up. He couldn’t show weaknesses in front of the enemy. Unfortunately for him, the larger man wasn’t down just yet. “You arrogant piece of shit!” Another lunge, another dodge. He was lucky these guys weren’t quite the fighters but with his stamina, he wasn’t going to last long.

“Gotta say, he’s more than a bitch.” Seongwoo’s eyes widened as another voice interjected. There was another pair of men by the door, both leaning onto the frame as they watched the whole fight unfold. The weapons specialist kept his aim on the pair and the large man that has been a hassle to deal with. “It’s about time we interjected don’t you think? Dude’s been fighting like shit.”

“I was handling it just fine,” The large man spat. “Well, I think this has gone long enough.” The taller one of the pair said as he made eye contact with Seongwoo’s glare. “Who’s the other bitch and who sent you?” Yet, the capo remained silent. “Hm, a stubborn one I see. Looks like we’re not getting anything from him.” His companion looked rather irritated “We’re wasting time.”

“Hm, you’re right.” Seongwoo does not like that widened grin on his face.

“Get him.” Without any warning, the large male lunged once more but Seongwoo still managed to roll away with the bit of energy he had left. Unfortunately, he didn’t see the taller male move behind him when he dodged. But he realized too late. Before he could make a move, the man raised his fist and made contact with Seongwoo’s head.

The next thing he knew, his vision went black as a surge of pain exploded in his temple.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

Something didn’t seem right.

It was quiet. Too quiet for Daniel’s taste and he had a feeling it wasn’t because of a fortunate event. So far, he got what he wanted and so he set out to make his way towards the underground parking. Yet, he has not encountered a soul. If the others were on high alert, then he should have encountered someone or at least heard some yelling by now.

How unfortunate, and he even looked forward to some action too yet here he is just walking through the corridor with a gun in hand as if he owned the place. Albeit casual, he was still cautious of his surroundings. This wasn’t the time to kick back and relax, they were still in enemy territory after all.

By the time Daniel descended the stairs, he made sure to load another gun on the way. Whatever it may be, something urged him to keep two of his pistols ready. The underboss took quiet strides, both guns loaded and ready. It only took a few more steps to hear faint voices from the open area.

“Finally awake I see.” Said a gruff voice and a faint groan replied. “I’ll go straight to the point, where’s the other bastard? The reports said there were two of you, so where’s the other one?” Only then did it process to Daniel that Seongwoo was the one being interrogated and now they were looking for him. _Fuck, they caught him?_

“Answer you little―!”

Daniel didn’t think twice and barged into the room with both guns raised. In order to grab their attention, Daniel fired one warning shot. To his dismay, his assumptions were right. There were five men from the other gang and in the center was the pretty boy, Ong Seongwoo. The capo was forced into a kneeling position with two of the men holding him down by the shoulders and another two were on standby by the sides. By the front stood a rather tall man, arm paused in mid-air as if he was about to throw a punch”

“Lay a hand on him and the next bullet goes between your eyes.”

“Well, well, just the fucking rat we’ve been looking for. Glad you could join the party.” The man who was going to punch Seongwoo spoke.

“You call this a party?” Daniel laughed, obviously mocking them and their petty attempt at a threat. He loosened up, guns not focused on anyone anymore as he put his hands on his hips. He may have appeared to lower his guard but his reflexes are no joke, surely Seongwoo who was held captive could vouch for that. “You’re lucky I brought the party to you, retard.”

“Alright, enough funny business.” The tall gang member frowned. “Put down your weapons, hand over the drugs you stole and we’ll let your boy go.”

“Did you hear that babe?” Daniel’s question was directed at Seongwoo. “Even they’re calling you mine.”

“Kang, I fucking swear―” Seongwoo wasn’t able to finish his statement as Daniel immediately turned a little more serious and addressed the gang members.

“Do you shitheads think I was born yesterday? Obviously, as soon as I do what you say, you’re going to kill us anyway.” Daniel spat. “So I have another proposition. Let me go and I’ll be the ones that spare your life.” Seongwoo wondered why he made it sound like only he was going to be let go.

“You got balls, rat, I’ll give you that.” The gang member said. “But what the fuck makes you think we’ll do what you tell us? You’re outnumbered, outgunned, outpowered, and we have your boy with us.”

“It’s true he has a pretty face but I’m sure I can find another. Why do you think I came here with him? It wasn’t just for backup, you know. I’m well aware there would be casualties and he is going to make sure I’m not the one dead.” Daniel smirked like everything was just going as he had planned. In reality, his mind was working overload to get them out of the situation. He should have thought this through before he came barging in but maybe this small talk would buy him some time.

“What the fuck do you mean by that?” The gang member asked. Daniel didn’t answer, he just looked smug as if he knew something none of them did when in fact they were all just clueless. He looked at his watch casually and saw that he only had a few minutes to spare before the third bomb hit. “Answer, you bitch!” And just like that, the gears in Daniel’s head clicked.

“Another bomb is going to go off,” Daniel announced. “You heard the two earlier right? Well, the third bomb detonates at my hand. And you poor souls have my bomb.”

“You better fucking explain or we’ll blow your brains out.” The largest of the members aimed a gun at Daniel’s head and out of instinct he raised his as well. However, he coolly raised a small remote-like device. It was actually just the beeper for his car but they wouldn’t know that in this shitty lighting.

“The guy you have _is_ the bomb you fucking idiots. I got you right where I want you.” Daniel smirked. Hearing those words come out of his mouth, Seongwoo’s heart dropped right to his stomach.

“You can’t be fucking serious?!” Seongwoo panicked. Daniel was taken a little off guard, not expecting that his acting even affected his companion but this made it all the more believable.

“Sorry, but you’re just a pawn on my chessboard and you’ve served your purpose well.” Daniel smiled in mock apology. His tone didn’t even seem the least bit remorseful for the betrayal he was allegedly making. “Now,” Daniel addressed the group again. “Let me leave and allow me to take the bomb. Let me leave and do whatever the fuck you want with the bomb, or it detonates and kills all of us. Your move.”

“You’re fucking bluffing!” One of the men holding Seongwoo shouted.

“Am I?” Daniel tilted his head. “You heard the other two go off so you know I have the firepower.” The men looked at each other in contemplation of Daniel’s terms and agreements so he took this opportunity to check on the status of the third bomb. He only had less than a minute left. “I’m growing impatient you cunts! What do you say, huh?”

“Let the pretty boy stand.” The tall gang member announced. The henchmen looked at one another in doubt. “Do it!” The leader of this unit commanded and they did so. Once Seongwoo was up on his feet, Daniel quickly looked at his condition and thought that he had enough time to regain at least a little bit of his energy back. Besides, the adrenaline would probably kick in. Right on cue, the third and last bomb went off and the gang members ducked. Though Ong was originally panicky, he realized that he didn’t blow up and decided to kill Daniel later.

“Yeah, it was a fucking bluff you sons of bitches.” Daniel lit the place up by shooting the two men closest to Seongwoo. The next thing he knew, two bodies were now down on both of his sides with blood gushing out from a small hole between their eyes. If Seongwoo hasn’t grown used to the image, he would have puked by now. Daniel kicked away the other two on standby until he finally stood right in front of Seongwoo with his guns raised.

“Well hello there princess, your knight in shining armor has arrived,” Daniel said with a cheeky grin to match but Seongwoo remained expressionless. Oh how much he wanted to kill this guy. “Very funny, Kang. Are you really supposed to be the knight when you’re the reason we ended up here in the first place?” Seongwoo spat yet Daniel had the audacity to look amused. “I could handle it no problem anyway, so what’s the issue?” _I swear this guy has a few screws loose._ “You’re a fucking piece of shit,”

“Thanks for the compliment,” The underboss sarcastically replied.

“Isn’t this the part where you get armed to help me?” Although he had a point, Seongwoo couldn’t help but roll his eyes. _Seriously, just how much of this abnormal personality by the name Kang Daniel can I tolerate?_ “Don’t tell me what I already know, you’re wasting time.”

“Ah, what a diva. I guess princess isn’t a suitable nickname” The underboss smirked, “Do support me from afar, will you?” Without any warning, Daniel sets off and goes for the acting leader who was already in position. Meanwhile, the two men from earlier have now recovered and were once again attempting to corner him by the wall.

Seongwoo was still feeling a little dazed for being knocked out, but it wasn’t one he couldn’t handle. Good thing he still had some guns hidden inside his jacket or he’d have to conjure up a plan to get the guns from the corpses on the floor. The capo raised his guns, daring one of the two to make a move.

Neither looked threatened because of his current condition but Seongwoo felt rested enough after an exhausting battle on his own. He had Daniel now so hopefully, this could be done faster than he can count.

Seongwoo made the first move and ran towards the one on his right. The man threw a punch at his face but Seongwoo sidestepped out of the way causing him to stumble forward. The capo didn’t hesitate and gave an ax kick, making the man crash down flat on the floor.

Seongwoo was about to raise his gun to cripple the man but the second man ran towards him with a knife in hand. With the lack of reaction time, the raven-haired man took a step back and held the outstretched arm with a knife. The man was stronger than expected and he ended up losing his balance and fell on his back.

But Seongwoo didn’t let it get to him. Luckily he had more strength in his legs than his arms. He placed his foot on the man’s stomach and kicked him upwards to throw him over his head and went straight to a back roll to get up. The capo instantly kicked the knife out of reach and shot the man’s leg to significantly slow down his movement or maybe immobilize him for now.

Seongwoo spared a glance towards Daniel. Who was he kidding, he barely needed help. He looked more like he was playing around with the man than fighting him. Unfortunately for him, the second guy was faster than he thought. The man took advantage of his distracted moment and kicked the gun off his hands causing it to fly off at a distance.

“Shit―” Seongwoo dodged another kick and rolled to the side before the guy could get his hands on him. Several blows were exchanged but both were on equal footing they couldn’t land their punches on each other. Now they were at a standstill, both blocked the fist of the other.

“Not so hot now, aren’t you?” The man spat as he tightened his hold on Seongwoo’s fist. “I don’t talk to filth,” Seongwoo smirked seeing how riled up the latter was with that remark. If there was one thing he knew, it was never to let the enemy get on his nerves in the middle of a fight. Otherwise, he’d unconsciously lower his guard and let his anger run wild.

“You bitch―!”And that was exactly what happened. The man growled as he attempted to throw Seongwoo off but the capo withstood the reckless move and landed on his feet. The raven-haired cop bent his knees and gave a heavy kick towards the man’s middle. But again, the guy was fast and managed to stop his kick.

Seongwoo smirked. The firearm capo retaliated by using the man’s grip as leverage and does a higher kick towards the man’s temple. The impact instantly knocked him down and Seongwoo took the chance to take out another gun to shoot him in the leg. That should be enough to cripple them both.

Although he was slightly preoccupied, Daniel even found the time to whistle in amazement. "Didn't think your legs were that capable. Hey, maybe you could wrap your legs around my waist too while I―"

"I'd prefer choking you to death with them" Seongwoo cuts him off with a glare. Daniel was unfazed and merely chuckled in amusement.

"Ooh, kinky." Daniel pretended to shiver as if the idea was enough to turn him on. But his childish antics was disrupted by a bullet that barely missed his face. “Oh for fuck’s sake―!” Daniel glared at the leader and gave him a heavy kick, one enough to cause him to fall hard on his back. He grabbed the gun of the man he killed just moments before and kicked the gun the leader had pointed at him from the man’s hands. Daniel kneeled down and pressed the gun’s barrel on his forehead hard.

“Not so tough now are ya?” Daniel smirked, actually amused by the fear that took over the man’s whole being. He loved this feeling of power the most.

“Just do it, rat!” The leader croaked. He was obviously scared.

“I’m not gonna do it,” Daniel said gently as if trying to comfort the man on the ground but that was far from the truth. He got up and gave a strong kick to the leader’s stomach. After he relished in the groans of pain, he handed the gun to Seongwoo. “He’s gonna do it.”

“What?” Seongwoo immediately asked, just staring at the gun placed in his hands. Daniel knelt down and grabbed a cigarette peeping from the vest of one of the fallen men by his hand.

“Just shoot him,” Daniel said nonchalantly. He busts out his lighter and started to smoke, watching Seongwoo do his dirty work for him. “What? Don’t tell me you’ve been here for years yet you still haven’t had the honor of taking someone’s life.” Daniel frowned at the cowardice Seongwoo was displaying. Was this how the old underboss ran things? No, he knew better. Was this just Seongwoo? Daniel raised his eyebrow, looking at the older man expectantly.

Seongwoo looked at Daniel, the man on the ground, then at the gun in his hands. In all the years he had worked undercover, even though his profile made him a firearm capo, it never came to a point where he had to kill someone. Yet another thing the new underboss ruined for him the moment he took over the Busan branch. Seongwoo aimed the gun at the leader’s head while looking at Daniel.

The silver-haired man just looked bored, his cigarette already half finished. Seongwoo pulled the trigger and after a loud bang, silence came over the whole underground parking garage. He put the gun in one of his holsters and grabbed the cigarette from Daniel’s lips. It was his turn to take a drag.

“Let’s head back to the base now,” Seongwoo said as if he was the leader but as established, Daniel had a thing for being in power.

“Too tired.” He said simply as he took out another cancer stick. “But I know where we can stay for now.”

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

It’s been at least two hours since the two escaped and the survivors were left dragging around the bodies of their now dead colleagues. The acting leader was dead, their stocks were reduced, and one of the rarest drugs was stolen. All done by just two men. How were they going to report this? Unfortunately for them, the leader of the gang itself decided to visit for a surprise inspection.

The man, albeit a little short, strutted through the entrance radiating confidence and authority. Behind him were two tall men whom they all recognized as Kwon and Kim, one of most aggressive fighters from the main group.

All the men greeted in salute but their blood ran cold as the bodies have yet to be disposed of and were left on display for the leader to see. Though they didn’t know what to be scared of: the fact that they knew they were in trouble or the way their leader looked calm as his eyes roamed over the dead bodies.

“Report,” He simply said, his icy gaze not once leaving the inanimate corpses.

“T-... There was a raid, sir” One of the crippled men said.

“How many and from who?”

“... Just two, sir. No insignia visible so we couldn’t identify them.”

“Two?” The leader arched his eyebrow and examined the corpses. The damage was nothing messy, it looked rather calculated and clean. If only two men were capable of doing this, then they may have been of high status. But last time he checked, only a few gangs dared to station themselves within Busan. It was a major city after all.

“Describe them.” He commanded.

“They were both tall sir, one slightly taller than the other. The taller fucker had silver hair, his boy toy had black.” Well, that was an intriguing description. “Boy toy? He brought a prostitute with him?” But the henchmen shook his head, “No sir. He looked like an officer but the other one must have had his eye on him for a while. He kept hitting on him in front of us.”

The leader could not help but laugh out loud at the interesting observation. Now, this just got a lot more interesting. “Now I want to see this bunch, did the cameras have any footage of them?” He said as he directed his gaze towards Minjae, the boy behind the CCTV cameras.

“Well, I haven’t gone through the tapes frame by frame but they might have been shown in one of them.”

“Good.” The small man smiled in satisfaction. “I want to see what they look like. Maybe we could pay them a visit someday, yes?”

“That would be a good idea, sir.”

“Thought so too,” He said as he picked up the pack of cigarettes from the pocket of a dead henchman.

 

“No one messes with 787 and gets away with it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess you could say things start to kick off from here? hohoho well things... are going to get a bit steamy in the next chapter. How steamy? I don't know either lmao you'll have to look forward to it.
> 
> Also, decided to post a day earlier since I'm going on vacation tomorrow so I can't post on the same time that day ^^' though I guess it was better this way? To those who still look forward to this anyway lmao 
> 
> See y'all next time :3


	7. Unwind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Foul language, Recreational drug use, Explicit sexual content, Nonconsensual

“Aish, I’m beat” Daniel casually said as he stretched his long limbs by the passenger seat. Seongwoo was obviously instructed to drive but he had no qualms towards that. He didn’t want to risk his life by letting Kang drive anyway. The only thing distracting was Kang resting his feet on the dashboard while he leaned back on his arms folded behind his head. If he wasn’t a smoker himself, the smoke in the air would have been another peeve.

“We wouldn’t be so exhausted if you hid the body in the first place,” Seongwoo sarcastically commented and Daniel couldn’t help but scoff, “We’re still stuck there? After everything I’ve done like saving your pretty face from losing its charms?”

“Well, you wouldn’t need to ‘save its charms’ if your so-called experienced self was just as experienced as you said it was,” Seongwoo glared and even emphasized his point by using air quotation marks. Being the ‘mature underboss’ he was, Daniel rolled his eyes and took a long drag from his cigarette.

After several more turns and stop lights, Daniel finally told him to pull over by a small yet decent looking motel. Kang goes on ahead and Seongwoo followed suit after parking the car by the parking slots directly beside the building.

“Called before he came. Already booked us a room so let’s not waste any more time princess,” Daniel simply said with a snicker just as Seongwoo walked through the entrance. The underboss didn’t even wait as he headed straight to the stairs with what he assumed was another cigarette. Seongwoo couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Seriously, is he ever going to stop acting like a childish prick?

It didn’t take long before the duo finally found their room to sleep in for the night. The room was small but it wasn’t too large either. There was a small vanity by the left just in front of the bed. By the side stood a rather large window with a table and two chairs positioned right beside it. But if Daniel was the one who booked the room, then there was bound to be a catch. And that just so happens to be the single queen-sized bed in the center.

_This cheeky little shit._

The underboss made a beeline towards the couches and finally plopped down on one of them. “Fuck that feels good… I don’t feel like moving anymore” He said with a contented sigh while Seongwoo has yet to move from his spot by the door.

“Great, then maybe I can leave you behind and drive back to the base,” The capo replied with a smirk but Daniel merely chuckled at the empty threat, “You know just how much everyone needs me, babe. I’m too important to be left behind.”

“Your confidence is beyond my understanding,” Seongwoo scoffed with another matching eye roll until his eyes landed on a tear by Daniel’s side. Without any warning, Seongwoo casually walked to Daniel and poked his side only to be smacked in return. “Ow! What the hell?!” The underboss practically yelped and Seongwoo’s suspicions were confirmed when he saw hints of red on his fingers.

“You got a cut.” Seongwoo nonchalantly said.

“Nice observation, shall I reward you a medal for it?” Daniel scoffed as he adjusted his position, “It’s nothing major, could barely feel it actually.”

“No, it’s not disinfected. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to be humiliated with a headline like ‘Kang dies through viral infection of an untreated wound .” Seongwoo scolded. “I’ll just buy some bandages and disinfectants by the store across the street”

“Aw, never knew you cared.” Daniel dramatized with a fake sniff as he clutched onto his chest. Seongwoo merely scoffed at the display of poor acting as he made his way towards the door, “I’m just saving your sorry ass, don’t overthink it.” He said and slammed the door shut afterward.

“I feel the love,” Daniel sarcastically mumbles to himself and leaned back. With the adrenaline gone, the pain made itself known as it gradually made him uncomfortable. “Okay fine, I’ll deal with you, you shitty cut,” He grumbled as he made his way to the bathroom to clean the blood off. He opted for an improvised bandage for the sake of covering the cut and once again settled down on the couch.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

It’s already been at least half an hour and still no signs of Seongwoo. Although Daniel was tired, he didn’t feel like resting just yet. For him, the night was still young even if it was beyond past midnight. The underboss sighed and was about to fish out another cigarette but instead felt several plastic bags in his pockets. Suddenly, it dawned on to him that he actually stole something from that damn warehouse and spread it all out onto the table.

In an instant, his hands grabbed the packet of mescaline powder and went back to the bathroom. “Might as well make use of this good shit right here…” The drug capo found a small glass by the cabinet and poured in half the contents. Unfortunately for him, there was no potable water in sight and he was now stuck standing in the middle of the room with a glass of mescaline powder.

“Well fuck.”

As if on cue, Seongwoo entered just in time. “Oh, you’re here.” Daniel simply said as he strode over to the pretty boy with an arched eyebrow. The underboss pulled out the water bottle and poured a minimal amount of water enough to dissolve the mescaline as he swirled it around the glass. “Finally,” Daniel let out a contented sigh after downing the contents of the glass. As always, the taste was horrible but he knew the effects were rewarding anyway.

“What did you just take?” Seongwoo asked with an irritated tone but Daniel merely shrugged as he put down the glass. “Mescaline. If you haven’t tried it then you’re really missing out―”

“What. The. Fuck? So you’re telling me, you decided to take a drug… while you still have a disinfected cut?” Seongwoo incredulously said, “Relax, that was only half the intended dose. I’ll still take the other half later on―”

“You asshole! That’s not the point! I thought you’d have the mind to rest afterward but you think taking a drug is better?!” That wasn’t really the issue, Seongwoo was just tired but Daniel wasn’t being as mature as he should be and somehow Seongwoo always found it rather… frustrating.

“Hey, it’s not like it has an effect on my cut. And I already took care of it anyway, see?” He gestured to the improvised bandage, “Besides, I’ll just be high. What’s so bad about that?” The silver-haired capo casually replied and Seongwoo just felt even more exhausted. He just wanted to punch that grin off his face just to get things over with.

“You know what, fine. Whatever, I’m done with your shit. I’m off to bed.” Seongwoo continued to ramble on but Daniel rolled his eyes. This was getting ridiculous. What was he, a kid caught eating the gingerbread house for Christmas? The older male wouldn’t understand anyway, he was obviously not familiar with the feeling. If only he knew then he wouldn’t be rambling about sh―

 

_If only he knew the feeling._

 

In that instance, Daniel’s brain suddenly connected the dots and he couldn’t help but grin.

_Oh, this was going to be quite a night indeed._

The silver-haired underboss stealthily swiped an ecstasy pill off the table but Seongwoo’s eyes were too sharp to miss Daniel’s arm popping and biting down on something in his mouth. “Kang Daniel you fucker I just said―!” Daniel doesn’t let him finish as he roughly grabbed Seongwoo by the jaw and crashed their lips together.

Seongwoo froze while Daniel held him in place. Before Seongwoo could register what was happening, Daniel tilted his chin upward and pushed the pill down until Seongwoo had no choice but to swallow. The firearm capo pushed him away the minute he realized Daniel’s intention. _That little fucker just forced him to take a drug._

“You...! You asshole! What was that?!” He demanded as he stumbled back away from the young man and his annoying smirk. “MDMA, don’t ask me the whole name because it’s hella long but if you must know… “ He said as he took a step closer until his breath brushed against Seongwoo’s cheek, “... Its street name is Ecstasy”

“Son of a―! What the hell?!” Seongwoo yelled as he hits Daniel’s chest, “Hey, I even made it easier for you. I already cracked the pill so it should take effect faster than usual. Great, right?” Although he intended to tease, Daniel didn’t expect the onslaught of punches that came with Seongwoo’s anger. Lucky for him, his reflexes were just as fast so he managed to block or parry each one.

After a few more strings of curses and punches, Daniel was starting to feel bored and so he put an end to it when he caught both of his wrists. Seongwoo tried to pull away, but Daniel’s grip was too strong. “Is pretty boy done playing?” Daniel asked with a smile and Seongwoo has never been more desperate to punch that smile off his face. “You’re an ass.”

“And you…” Daniel mumbled as he leaned close to his ear, “... need to calm down,” He finished with a husky tone as he nipped on the tip of his ear. Seongwoo flinched at the contact and tried to squirm away. But unfortunately for him, it gave Daniel an advantage as he got pushed back onto the vanity.

Daniel smirked and held down Seongwoo’s hand on the table as he gave his ear a sensual lick that sent shivers down his spine. The underboss slid one of his hands up his arm and settled it on his neck. “Why don’t I help you destress today?” Daniel whispered as he slid his other hand under the fitted black shirt. “Oh, don’t worry… I’ll make it worth your while”

As if to prove a point, Daniel bit down on the junction where his neck and shoulder meet. But Seongwoo refused to make a sound as he bit down his lip. Daniel decided to make it a challenge to get a sound out of those kitten-like lips.

The underboss remained persistent on that spot as he continuously sucked and licked until it turned a dark shade of red. Hand slowly sliding up his thin stomach as it teasingly brushed by the older man’s nipple. But Seongwoo refused to make a sound and opted to bite down the back of his hand. “Oh c’mon babe, you should loosen up a little more…” He whispered as he noticed Seongwoo’s breathing became labored.

The underboss grinned. Although it took a while, the drug started to act up in his system and by the unfocused gaze in the older man’s eyes, Daniel knew he didn’t have to wait any longer. “I’ll take my time with you tonight,” He said in that deep and husky voice that made Seongwoo feel things he refused to acknowledge.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

Seongwoo’s mind was a mess, he didn’t even notice when Daniel pushed him upwards until he was now seated on the vanity. No matter how hard he tried to keep his thoughts clear, Daniel’s touch left a burning feeling that reduced his thoughts into cinders. His body felt hot he was practically burning and Daniel wasn’t helping him at all. Much to his chagrin, Seongwoo felt his pants tighten at every bite and touch that Daniel left on his skin. The ecstasy must now have been in effect for him to feel sensitive to the slightest brush of Daniel’s long fingers.

His pride refused to give in at such humiliation but Minhyun’s words kept repeating itself in his head. _“_ _It’s one way of getting out of there faster than intended.”_ As much as he wanted to retort, he knew it was true. If he wanted to speed up the job, then it was unavoidable that he had to make a few sacrifices of his own.

But before he could even prepare himself, Daniel severed his train of thoughts when he grabbed onto his crotch. Seongwoo couldn’t resist but throw his head back with a low groan. Daniel, being the cheeky opportunist he was, latched onto the now exposed neck as he massaged the prominent bulge in his pants.

“Looks like someone’s craving a little attention, don’t you think?” Daniel smirked as he gave the bulge a light squeeze making Seongwoo's breath hitch. The underboss decided being a tease and undid the older’s belt as slow as he could but Seongwoo kept biting down on that hand and it irritated the drug capo.

“I’m going to touch you now, but when I do…”  Daniel forced both of Seongwoo’s hands behind him on the vanity and held it in place “I want to hear how good I make you feel” The younger man finally pulled down his fly and slipped his hand into the older’s boxer without any hesitation.

Seongwoo could no longer hold back, he already grew sensitive for not being held by anyone but himself for a long time. It didn’t help that Daniel’s hands felt a bit cold so when his hands finally took out his cock and wrapped his long fingers around it, the capo moaned in pleasure as he leaned back on the mirror.

“Oh look at you, to think you were such a good boy earlier,” Daniel mock cooed while he lazily stroked at the now hardened member. The underboss took his time taking in the view. It was rather fun to watch his right-hand man unwinding at the seams all because of a few flicks of the wrist.

“If only you can see how naughty you look right now,” He seductively whispered as he quickened his pace. Daniel couldn’t help but smirk as he watched the firearm specialist turn into a moaning mess under his touch and he wasn’t even going all out yet. _Oh, how wonderful would it be to watch you writhing beneath me?_

Being the playful guy he was, Daniel’s strokes had varying speeds but he would often slow down or stop completely when he knew Seongwoo was close. At this point, the older man practically gave in to lust as if his labored breathing and dilated eyes were not enough evidence. He even shocked Daniel himself when he thrust into Daniel’s hand but the younger man smirked in victory.

“As you wish,” He simply said when he finally quickened his strokes until white strings of cum coated his palms and fingers. “Ah~ What a naughty boy you are,” He mumbled as he drinks in the sight of the now disheveled beauty that spread out before him. Daniel held the capo by his chin and brushed his fingers over the dark mark with a satisfied smirk. While making sure Seongwoo’s eyes were on him, he licked his own cum-coated fingers and told his pretty boy how good he tasted.

“Don’t feel so relieved, I’m not done with you yet.” Daniel breathed into the area between Seongwoo’s neck and shoulder. His erection wasn’t going anywhere. A part of Seongwoo was frustrated; God forbid he was a bottom. But deep down he knew he could get used to the one being satisfied for a change. However, the dark glint in Daniel’s eyes told him that whatever happened and will happen was all for the underboss and not at all for him.

“Bed. Now.” Daniel growled in his ear, hot breath tickling Seongwoo’s lobe. He grabbed the older man’s wrist and tugged him down the vanity. They locked eyes for a split second before Daniel turned him around and pushed him over to the bed. Seongwoo laid down on his back, completely frozen as Daniel crawled in front of him on all fours. His shirt was loose enough for Seongwoo to catch just a bit of skin. The raven-haired man clenched the bed sheets just a little bit tighter.

Daniel crept over slowly, his long legs on either side of Seongwoo’s lithe frame. They would both be lying if they said the anticipation didn’t unnerve them one bit. They both felt it, the electricity humming in their veins. Something within them was just craving for the other. Seongwoo blamed it on the ecstasy, but Daniel knew it was his pure lust driving him. They didn’t look at each other until this moment and the simple act of their gaze landing on the other sent adrenaline running in their system.

“You know what I want?” Daniel asked.

“What?” Seongwoo’s voice sounded so small he hated himself for it.

“This off,” Daniel tugged his shirt a little bit upwards and Seongwoo absent-mindedly complied. _It’s the drugs,_ he tells himself. “This down,” Daniel pulled Seongwoo’s previously unbuttoned pants down, and somehow the material drops to his thighs. Now that he was exposed, the older man felt the chilly temperature of nearing dawn envelope his body. _Definitely the drugs,_ Seongwoo continued to convince himself. The Busan boy’s eyes roamed over Seongwoo’s form. And wherever his eyes landed, his hands followed.

His hands were calloused, Seongwoo thought through the haze. He didn’t know if that was where the roughness came from or whether it was because Daniel was clearly ravenous for physical contact. All over his torso, Daniel’s big hands covered- not leaving a single space untouched. His hands had finally settled somewhere. His left was gripping his hip, hard. The other was gripping his chest, thumb encircling Seongwoo’s nipple. He bit his bottom lip. Daniel smirked at how he could bring this kind of reaction out of the firearms capo.

After warming Seongwoo up a little, Daniel delved into his skin. He started licking, nibbling, eventually biting at his neck. Occasionally, he would nip at the older man’s perfectly chiseled jaw. After leaving a chain of purple and red around his neck, wonderfully matching the earlier one, Daniel moved on to Seongwoo’s upper body. As he traveled downward, his tongue left a wet trail, stopping over at his left nipple, he couldn’t help but lick and suck at the nub. Seongwoo made some noise albeit restrained.

“Moan for me, baby,” Daniel said. “I want to hear how I make you feel.”

“You’re mine now.” Daniel suddenly declared. Even his own impulsive words was a shock to him, but he wouldn’t revoke his statement any time soon. “All of this belongs only to me, pretty boy.” Seongwoo couldn’t muster a reply, let alone summon his voice to speak. But the way Daniel looked at him struck at his core. He meant it. His colleague was very possessive. Not knowing what to do, Seongwoo just nodded blankly. That seemed to satisfy Daniel, though, as he continued leaving his mark all over the older man’s skin.

Daniel admired his work. Seongwoo used to be a blank canvas but now he was painted with warm hues. Daniel wasn’t just an artist, he was a musician as well. And he was confident he could play Seongwoo until he made beautiful sounds of moans and gasps over and over again. He then looked down at Seongwoo’s dick, covered only by boxers he could easily pull down. So he did.

“Hey, hey,” Seongwoo sat up after his dick went out of his shorts. His rationality may be slowly slipping away due to the ecstasy and Daniel’s hand and mouth everywhere but he had enough sense to feel even a little bit abashed. Daniel cooed, pushing him gently back down as he reassured Seongwoo he would only praise and thank him after his work was done.

Daniel held his dick near the base with one hand, the other fiddling with the tip until it leaked precum. Seongwoo turned his head to the side, hoping the pillows would muffle his groans of pleasure. And if that wasn’t enough, he had started biting his hand in the hope he wouldn’t make a sound. When Daniel noticed his persistent resistance, he knew he had to take it to the next level.

Unexpected to Seongwoo, Daniel put his dick in his mouth and started to lick the tip, flicking it up and down with his tongue. The action made Seongwoo gasp in pleasure. After that, Daniel had started sucking on Seongwoo’s member, tasting his cum more clearly. At this point, Seongwoo was a panting mess. The pleasure of the action and the extra boost of the drug Daniel gave him increased his senses tenfold. He was squirming, lifting his hips up and down to create friction for his cock. Daniel was a little surprised that Seongwoo was being needy. He, quite literally, almost choked. Daniel gave it one last suck before stopping the blowjob. The disappointment was evident on Seongwoo’s face.

“Turn around,” Daniel commanded, but Seongwoo hadn’t moved an inch. Daniel raised one eyebrow, getting up on his knees so that he towered over Seongwoo. “Didn’t hear me, baby? Has a fellow cat got kitty's tongue?” Normally, the nickname would bother Seongwoo, but somehow it was kind of hot. Still, Daniel got no reaction from him so he dropped down to the bed, arms on either side of Seongwoo’s face so that their noses almost touched.

“Be a good boy and turn around for me. You’re gonna enjoy it.” Daniel smiled, eyes half-lidded. He was hard and needed to finally finish pleasuring himself. Hearing those words coming from Daniel’s deep and raspy voice, he obediently turned around. Daniel smirked victoriously and took a look down where he was going to work with. He promptly grabbed both of Seongwoo’s cheeks and massaged them, getting to hold his baby’s ass in his hands completely sent his fingertips tingling.

Daniel couldn’t wait, he’s been eyeing that ass for so long and he was finally going to get it tonight whether Seongwoo liked it or not. But he wasn’t completely prepared, he cursed as he realized he had no lube or any alternative for that matter with him. The white cum still on his fingers as well as the precum leaking from Seongwoo’s cock gave him the idea, it’s not like he had anything else anyway.

“Kinky shit,” He mumbled to himself as he smeared the substance dripping from Seongwoo’s cock around his fingers. It’s not like he had another choice, as long as he slicked them up then it was going to be fine. He smeared the cum all over Seongwoo’s crack over his hole and brought his fingers to Seongwoo’s lips.

“If you don’t want this to hurt, then I suggest you get to work,” Daniel said with that low demanding voice that sent shivers down his spine. But the younger man doesn’t let him respond as he shoved two of his fingers deep into Seongwoo’s mouth. Luckily, it wasn’t deep enough to make him gag but it was enough for Seongwoo to start licking the long fingers.

The underboss relished in the scene as he explored the wet cavern with his long digits. Seongwoo swirled his tongue and sucked on the delicate-looking fingers until the underboss abruptly pulled away, smirking at the string of saliva that dribbled down the capo’s lips. After his fingers were slicked with saliva, he put in three digits straight into Seongwoo’s hole.

“Oomf-” Seongwoo bit back the discomfort that washed over him. On the other hand, Daniel was more than pleased with what he found. Contrary to what he thought, the ring of muscle around his fingers were tight. All the more giving Daniel a reason to smirk as Seongwoo became louder at every curl and thrust of his fingers against his prostate.

“So I see you’ve never done this before,” Daniel murmured. “Always shoving your stick, never the one getting shoved in?” He teased his prostate some more but Seongwoo was having none of it. He tried to writhe away from Daniel, but the underboss held him by the shoulder and hip. “You’re not going anywhere, baby.” He unzipped his own pants and pulled them down to his knees. Seongwoo wasn’t allowed to look. Without warning, Daniel thrust his huge cock right into Seongwoo’s ass.

“That hurts, you asshole!” Seongwoo croaked after keeping quiet for so long. That is if you consider moaning and groaning while clutching the sheets keeping quiet.

“Actually it’s your ass hole. And don’t worry, it’ll feel better soon.” Daniel smirked playfully, not that Seongwoo could see the mischief dancing in his eyes. He lifted his hips so that his dick was out again. And when Seongwoo thought the literal pain in his ass was gone, it was replaced with another hard aching down below. In and out, Daniel’s dick entered and exited as it pleased. It fucking hurt, that’s for sure but Daniel couldn’t care less as long as he was finally having the time of his life by thrusting in as fast as his thighs could handle.

Seongwoo’s yelps of pain eventually turned into cries of pleasure. But after that, it just turned into cries as his eyes slightly watered. It felt good, _really good,_ but it was also starting to hurt so badly. Whenever Daniel’s cock hit his prostate, it felt he was doing the fucking, but the friction in his ass made him ache and it felt absolutely shitty. All of a sudden, Daniel came inside Seongwoo. In a panic, the older man detached himself, making Daniel’s cum spread all over his skin in the process.

“Thanks, baby,” Daniel whispered in his ear before getting up to zip his pants. Seongwoo observed curiously, still not quite sure what had just happened. He watched Daniel head into the bathroom, probably to clean himself up. Meanwhile, Seongwoo looked at his figure and quickly pulled his pants up.

When Daniel came back, he didn’t even spare Seongwoo a glance, just headed to his side of the bed and slept soundly. Not that the raven-haired man minded. He couldn’t even get up and clean himself up because exhaustion and a dull pain in his ass washed over him. A few moments later, his attempts at getting up failed and Seongwoo fell asleep.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

The following day, Seongwoo felt a sharp pain where Daniel mercilessly fucked him. He tried standing up but even that had been a struggle. He saw that the underboss was still sleeping and if it were up to him he’d be dead by a bullet. But it wasn’t up to him so he settled for taking a shower. When he stripped, he was alarmed by the number of hickeys that covered not only his neck but his torso as well.

“Fuck,” he growled. Seongwoo needed a smoke. After rushing his shower, he headed outside the motel and made a phone call. Minhyun picked up just as Seongwoo had successfully lit his cigarette.

“Yes? What’s up?” Minhyun asked.

“I fucking hate you,” Seongwoo said, anger lacing his tone. “He fucked with me so hard, it’s a real pain in the ass.”

“What’s new, Ong?” Minhyun chuckled over the phone. The bastard had the nerve to find his predicament humorous.

“Moron, I mean it literally.” Seongwoo half-shouted. The silence from the other line made him imagine Minhyun’s jaw dropping to the floor.

“So, you really fucked?” Minhyun asked and it was his turn to be silent. Yes, it was true, but somehow saying it out loud made it a little more real. “Shit, I didn’t think you had it in you. I guess Jisung owes me lunch.”

“You fucking bet on this?” Seongwoo asked. His so-called friends were unbelievable.

“Who bet on what, babe?” The sound of Daniel’s voice surprised Seongwoo. He could hear Minhyun’s hellos and hung up the phone immediately.

“Jaehwan,” Seongwoo said on instinct. It kind of bothered him that his fellow firearm capo was his initial pick. “Jaehwan just being stupid.” Daniel nodded slowly, seeming to buy whatever it is Seongwoo was trying to sell.

“Well, we should head back to the base already,” Daniel said, dropping the subject. “It’s getting late.”

“It’s barely nine,” Seongwoo huffed.

“I have important matters to attend to. Just underboss stuff you should also be concerned about since you’re supposed to be assisting me.” Daniel harshly reminded. “And as my assistant, you’re driving.”

Seongwoo actually liked to drive. It was one of the things he did to pass the time. He did it often during his rebellious teen years, no parents telling him he couldn’t just drive from one end of the country to another. He could drive half-asleep, following roads coming naturally to him. However, what he couldn’t do was drive properly with pain in his anus and whole downward region. But he couldn’t let Kang catch on or else he’d never hear the end of it.

“So,” Daniel spoke from the passenger’s seat, fingers drumming his thighs. “You had fun last night?” Seongwoo snorted.

“This is your idea of small talk?” Seongwoo rolled his eyes. He turned the volume of the radio higher in the hope that he would no longer have to listen to Daniel’s nonsense by doing so. Of course, he was wrong.

“Snarky, aren’t we? That wasn’t what you said when you begged me to fuck you.” Seongwoo nearly crashed into a tree.

“That never fucking happened, Kang.” He spat. Drugged as he may be, he was confident nothing of that sort went down.

“Okay, okay, you know what did happen?” Seongwoo didn’t answer, thinking that maybe if he didn’t humor it he’d give the incessant teasing a rest. Of course, he was wrong again. “You agreeing to be mine.”

“Fuck no,” Seongwoo firmly denied.

“Oh fuck yes,” Daniel grinned in triumph. “You nodded when I declared it.” Seongwoo continued his strategy of ignoring anything Daniel had to say about last night. It was working perfectly well until Daniel started grabbing his dick out of nowhere.

“Woah, Woah, what the fuck?” Seongwoo swerved across the lanes, nearly bumping into another car. “What now?!”

“I don’t like being ignored, sweet thing,” Daniel said, voice low. Seongwoo found himself just nodding again because what the hell would he say to that? “Anyway,” Daniel’s demeanor suddenly changed like an internal switch was triggered in his twisted brain. “I’m hungry, baby. Go drive to the nearest fast food chain and let’s head back.” He raised his feet on the dashboard, irking Seongwoo, but he decided not to say anything about it.

The moment they set foot in the base, Jaehwan was waiting for Seongwoo. He started accusing about leaving him with a shit ton of work while he went out taking a sweet time on his date. Seongwoo vehemently denied the allegations thrown his way. Although he continued to argue with Jaehwan (who attacked him right after he exited the car), his eyes were trained towards Daniel, observing how his manner shifted from a casual flirt to a strict underboss. Eventually, Seongwoo also noticed Jinyoung standing by the entrance, already spilling out information Daniel is clearly processing intently. Guess it was back to business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Trying to write smut"; That's another 'try something new' ticked off the list.  
> It was really challenging actually so hopefully the first attempt came out well XD
> 
> Okay so maybe the smut seemed to early but hey, it's the type without feeling yet anyway sooooo I guess you could say it's nothing special yet lmao. Anywayz, as hinted in the previous chapter, a major plot in the story is about to come your way so hopefully you can look forward to that :3
> 
> **This is the last premade chapter we have so the following are still in the works. Unfortunately, me and ash haven't had the time to work together properly so the writing process gets delayed. Soooo as early as now, we're already warning you that the next update may be late if we don't get to finish it on time. We'll at least tell you all beforehand**


	8. Differences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Foul language, Explicit sexual content ... Daniel being Daniel

The phone in Seongwoo’s pocket had started to vibrate violently, signaling that someone was attempting to contact him. When he checked who the caller was, Jaehwan mercifully stopped his yapping, and Seongwoo saw that it was Minhyun’s number. He knew he had to report back but this wasn’t the place to do it. Seongwoo stared at the three men still outside the base exchanging information they gathered while the two were out on a raid.

“Who’s that?” Jaehwan wondered dumbly. It was an unknown number that appeared on Seongwoo’s phone. How the heck would he know that Seongwoo knew who the person was on the other line? He must not have looked surprised to receive the call so the undercover cop had to come up with an excuse for his lack of shock.

“Booty call.” He said simply. “Kang,” Seongwoo turned to the underboss but his eyes were already fixated on Seongwoo. He looked mildly upset. If he wasn’t a vicious leader who just stole drugs and murdered other gang members, he would have resembled a ticked off puppy. “I need a day off.” Jaehwan’s complaints filled their ears but they ignored his presence for the most part.

“Tired, pretty boy?” Daniel smirked. He had a few hunches as to why Seongwoo wasn’t up to working for today. Most of those guesses were related to him or his dick. He liked the way Seongwoo appeared uncomfortable at his remark. The two of them clearly understood what he was referring to but it was evident the firearm specialist didn’t want others to know. _Good,_ Daniel thought, _get riled up._

“Very,” Seongwoo said through gritted teeth.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m not tired?” Jaehwan continued to rant. “If he’s getting a day off, I sure as hell deserve one, too.”

“Zip it, Kim,” Daniel said sharply. Finally, Jaehwan stopped talking but he didn’t hide how upset he was. Daniel appeared to be thinking about Seongwoo’s request for a few moments before speaking again. “Report back tomorrow early. I need your narrative report about our two-man raid by the end of the week. Don’t leave out a single detail from the moment of our departure until our arrival.” Seongwoo could feel his face heat up at the implication behind Daniel’s words. To make matters worse, the underboss even gave him a cheeky wink. Seongwoo hopped into the car and drove straight to his apartment.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

“You almost blew my cover,” Seongwoo said harshly but it lacked the bite. He was still tired so he just lay down on his couch. He could faintly make out the drama that was playing on the tv but he paid closer attention to his conversation with Minhyun and Jisung.

“You literally were the one that wanted to talk to us earlier this morning.” Minhyun deadpanned. “When you didn’t call back after an hour I thought that maybe I should call you.”

“What’s up, Onggie?” Jisung asked, showing his concern for the younger far more clearly than Minhyun. Sometimes Seongwoo feels like he has a mother again when he’s in Jisung’s company but he’d never say it out loud.

“Remember how you guys told me to go along with the whole right-hand man slash boy toy thing?” It was a rhetorical question. The two adults on the other line waited for him to continue. “It’s the stupidest fucking idea any of you have ever had.” This time there was venom in his tone.

“If by the stupidest fucking idea you mean being able to get close enough to the underboss to the point that you go on solo raids with him then yea, pretty fucking stupid.” Minhyun bit back. Yes, he had a point but was what he was giving worth just as much as he was taking?

“Calm down ladies,” Jisung said over the line and Seongwoo knows just by his intonation he was probably rolling his eyes. Minhyun and he always exchanged harsh words with each other but it was far from any actual developing hatred. It was just how they talked. “Why do you think it isn’t a good idea, Onggie?” Good question. Yet it was the question Seongwoo wasn’t excited to answer.

“Last night, he and I… we kind of, uh…” Seongwoo was trailing off.

“Fucked. We know. You told me that earlier, that’s why I have free lunch today.” Minhyun said, cutting to the chase. “So what about it?”

“What do you mean what about it?” Seongwoo sat up maybe a little too fast which was why his head was hurting just a little. Or it could be the conversation he couldn’t believe he was having.

“Ong, you do this all the damn time,” Minhyun said. “What’s so different sleeping around with him? Is it because he’s supposed to be the bad guy or something?”

“You know just think of yourself as Black Widow. She must have done this all the time.” Jisung unhelpfully supplied. Honestly, why was Seongwoo even still talking to them?

“Yeah, sure,” he said to just end the conversation already. “I’ll be enjoying my day off by starting that narrative report now.”

“Don’t forget to send us a copy,” Minhyun said. As if Seongwoo wouldn’t; he isn’t an amateur.

“Take care Onggie~!” was the last thing he heard before they ended the call. He picked up his laptop and put on the glasses he only wears when facing a screen and turned the television’s volume up even though it was just showing a milk commercial. He got to the beginning of the infiltration before he gave in to laziness. He had a week to do this anyway.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

Seongwoo reported back the following day just as he was told. Of course, he was nowhere near the end of his report so he had no further reason to come to Daniel. That was why he went to his usual area with Jaehwan but found that, impressively, most of the work had been done already.

“Talk shit all you want about me, Ong,” Jaehwan said with pride lacing his tone. “But you gotta admit I’m productive without your ass nagging at me to do shit I already know needs to be done.”

So while their workload wasn’t suffocating Seongwoo yet, he decided to continue his investigation on the new system Daniel had set up for Geumhwansang Pa. He thought about where he could continue his analysis and realized he had yet to explore the drugs department. He weighed in the pros and cons of going to that area.

On one hand, he had the chance to examine territory he hadn’t so far however it was Daniel’s territory and he wasn’t exactly jumping for joy at the thought of possibly running into him. If Minhyun heard his thoughts at this very moment he would be called out for letting personal issues interfere with his work so he told himself to suck it up and put on a brave face.

He headed over to the opposite side of the warehouse since the weaponry sector was at the other end in relation to the drugs sector. Along the way, he ran into some familiar faces but most of them were new. Seongwoo concluded that these could be the men that Daniel brought along with him from the Seoul branch. Eventually, he had reached his destination and walked through the aisles of drugs with letters and numbers likely forming a compound he really wasn’t inclined to read.

Ask him about any model of any gun that ever existed and he’d know the answer in a heartbeat. However, he never got accustomed to deciphering chemicals such as these. This was one reason why he thought Daniel must be highly intelligent despite his demeanor and age. Imagine memorizing every composition of almost every drug in the world and knowing the different methods on how to make it that separates each dealer from another, all because of the quality produced by the various ways in which the drugs were made.

“Hey baby,” Seongwoo figured that if you speak of the devil he must really appear. “I haven’t seen you.”

“Missed me?” the dark-haired man asked. He felt like messing around just a tiny bit and if you asked him why he’d blame it on the drugs surrounding him (even though those drugs are sealed tight to avoid unwanted consumption among the gang members). Daniel looked like he was caught off guard for a moment before the familiar smirk had set on his face. He was silent for a few moments, thinking of a way to respond before finally answering Seongwoo’s question with one of his own.

“You know what the best kind of weed is?” Daniel asked. The older man wondered what this had to do with his previous attempt at flirting. Perhaps the underboss was not in the mood to fool around.

“What?” Seongwoo asked.

“When I’m _weed_ you.” Daniel broke into a toothy smile at his cheesy pick-up line. He laughed a little at his own pun and Seongwoo couldn’t help but bite one back.

_No,_ he told himself. He gave a polite smile and walked back to where he was assigned to monitor the weapons. Seongwoo couldn’t shake the image that for once, Daniel looked like his age.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

Because Seongwoo’s previous encounter with Park Jihoon and Park Woojin was interrupted by Daniel wanting to spar with him, he decided that maybe he should try checking on the progress of the trainers. After all, he hadn’t dropped by since the sparring incident and that had been weeks ago. When he arrived at the training grounds, it was relatively empty. Sure, there were some recruits working on their fighting styles but he was there for the two leaders of this unit. To keep himself occupied, Seongwoo walked around the grounds and observed the movements the men were practicing in case it would give him an idea about the new regimen.

Right when Seongwoo was about to leave the grounds, the two Parks entered the facility. The three of them ran into each other by the entrance and stared at each other for a few moments. To be more accurate, Woojin and Jihoon looked a bit startled at Seongwoo’s presence while the undercover agent had started eyeing the two from head to toe. Disheveled hair? Creased clothes? Labored breathing?

Yeah, Seongwoo had a pretty good bet where the two of them had been. Woojin broke into a childish smile, almost showing off the fact that he scored one with Jihoon and put an arm around the other man’s waist. Jihoon elbowed Woojin’s side which made him drop his arm immediately.

“What do you want?” Jihoon asked, ignoring the embarrassment making its way onto his expression.

“I just wondered where you guys were,” Seongwoo answered truthfully, still finding his discovery mildly amusing.

“Well, now you know where we are, so excuse me,” Jihoon said brushing past Seongwoo. He was sure that Jihoon bumped into him on his way in on purpose. Woojin acknowledged his presence with a nod before following his partner inside the training ground. Well, it had been a long time coming in Seongwoo’s opinion. Since he went undercover he could sense something brewing between the two. Maybe it was the hours of training, making the two boys sweaty and strong that triggered it.

“You know, we could fool around as well.” Seongwoo was convinced at this point that Daniel was like a pimple that kept appearing in important events of his life. The silver-haired man must have mistaken Seongwoo’s silence for approval because without any warning whatsoever he just groped his ass. Seongwoo held onto Daniel’s wrist tightly and jerked it away from his behind.

“Yeah, no. Not now.” Seongwoo said making a hasty escape. He didn’t catch Daniel voicing his thoughts of ‘no being different from not now.’

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

It was an ordinary day for Seongwoo and Jaehwan. True to the parakeet’s word, he is much more productive when Seongwoo wasn’t breathing down his neck. After Jaehwan managed to figure out the final locations for their shipments, it was then up to Seongwoo to determine whether or not the route he chose was efficient and lowkey enough to not catch the attention of authorities. Funny enough, he was part of the authorities.

However, something was off about Seongwoo so it wasn’t as ordinary as one would think. Jaehwan observed that he was very cranky. To be fair, irritable was Seongwoo’s default mode but it was especially evident at the moment. Apart from that, he was kind of jittery. Jaehwan thought back to the last time Seongwoo reported late and it had been so long he couldn’t really remember anymore. Okay, the dude was sex-deprived and clearly horny. Jaehwan laughed as quietly as he could, which was not much, at the idea of the guy that could pass off as a God not getting any.

“Something funny?” Seongwoo snapped. Yep, definitely extra cranky.

“Nah,” Jaehwan said leaning back into his seat. “You done?”

“I would be if you weren’t distracting me.” Seongwoo spat.

“What? I fucking breathed.” Jaehwan rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, and it’d be a million times better if you stopped,” Seongwoo said harshly but Jaehwan just shrugged it off. What was new?

“How are we doing over here?” Kang Daniel waltzed into their office without any warning. _Again,_ Jaehwan thought, _what was new?_ He had grown accustomed to Daniel occasionally dropping in to check on their progress though he wasn’t an idiot. Jaehwan could clearly see that the underboss sometimes flirts with his partner.

“Already bad and your presence just made it worse,” Seongwoo said, not even stopping to look at Daniel. He was incredibly focused on the computer screen and all the twists and turns the men would be taking. Of course, he was trying to memorize these routes as well in order to leak it to the police.

“Aw, come on.” Daniel purred. Jaehwan made a disgusted face at what he was witnessing right now. Although he had to admit it was amusing to watch the big bad underboss get shut down by Seongwoo time and time again. “You don’t mean that, do you?”

Daniel put his hands on Seongwoo’s shoulders, his cheek leaning on Seongwoo’s temple. _He’s begging to be punched in the face_ , Jaehwan thought. At this point, he would usually look away before Daniel gets too clingy but he was anticipating the nasty left cross Seongwoo would surely serve the underboss’s smug face.

“I do.” Seongwoo turned towards Daniel so that his forehead now connected to the side of the younger man’s face. “But I guess you’re mildly more tolerable than the other guy sitting over there.”

“Hey,” came Jaehwan’s reaction to Seongwoo’s words. Any other time he would have complained to his heart’s content about being underappreciated and verbally abused but this time was different. Okay, today was definitely not an ordinary day.

Seongwoo leaned back to press his lips against Daniel’s neck. Unmoving at first, but they part and he places a small area of Daniel’s flesh between his teeth. He bit down softly and proceeded to give it a quick suck. After another peck on his neck, the capo goes back to review the routes. For once, Daniel and Jaehwan who usually had something to say were stunned to the point of complete silence.

“Now leave before I decide I can’t tolerate you after all and kick you out myself,” Seongwoo said simply as if the past three minutes hadn’t happened at all. Jaehwan would mock Daniel for looking like a fish out of water as he left their office but he was stunned himself.

_What the actual fuck did I just fucking witness?_

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

It’s been a week, a whole fucking week of nothing but paperwork and Seongwoo was getting even more frustrated by the minute. Whether he referred to frustration in a literal sense, it could also refer to his lack of engagement in sex. Seongwoo wasn’t a sex addict or anything. The act just so happened to help him unwind and de-stress in a way but he hasn’t had the time to do any of that.

Turns out, missing just one day of work was enough to push him ten steps back. Jaehwan did a great job managing everything while he was gone. Although it should have been a good thing, everything that occurred just had him on edge as if he woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Instead of being relieved, he felt unreasonably annoyed and had probably taken it out on the others during more than one incident.

And to top it all off, Daniel also gave him the ‘honor’ of writing the narrative report on the events that transpired during their late-night raid in the middle of a forest. Although he was given a week, he already had it finished by the fifth night after the raid and he just wanted to give it to that airhead to finally get things done.

After going through today’s rounds on his side of the headquarters, Seongwoo hastily headed straight to the underboss’ office to get it over with. Although he hoped and prayed Daniel wouldn’t be there, the world always seemed to be against him as he saw the said man typing away at his desk.

“What a pleasant surprise,” The silver-haired man exaggerated with outstretched arms, “It’s barely noon and you missed me already?” Seongwoo scoffed, “Go fuck yourself,” He mumbled while walking over to drop the folder with his printed out report. “I only came to drop this off so I’ll be on my merry way away from you,”

“Mhm, sure you are,” Daniel said with a sarcastic tone as he stood up and walked to the front of his desk. “Let’s not be too hasty, I’ll have to go over this first before you may leave,”

“Then get it over with, I have orders to go through,”

“Patience, babe,” He said with a playful smack to his ass, “I’m sure you did a good job anyway.” The latter rolled his eyes. He was getting rather impatient since he was just supposed to drop off the file and go. Seongwoo crossed his arms and shifted his weight on one leg.

“You know, you look hot when you’re all impatient like that. Maybe I should take my time with these papers and watch you tap your foot all day,”

“Then that’s the shittiest idea I’ve ever heard,”

“Well, Mister Hotshot, you know what else seems shitty?” Daniel said with a smirk as he waved around the said papers, “Your report is lacking,”

“What?” _Impossible._ Seongwoo thought to himself, he spent days on that report making sure he nailed every detail and incident. From their infiltration using the three bombs down to their face off with the interim leader and his men. That was all he needed to get on paper so what could he possibly miss?

“Everything was there. The bombs and weapons used, infiltration location, number of casualties, stolen goods―”

“But you excluded the events after the infiltration,” He cuts him off with another smirk, “It was the highlight,” Seongwoo felt his eye twitch in what was probably irritation. _He’s got to be kidding, right? This is a formal report for fuck’s sake._

“You can’t be serious,”

“Oh, believe me, I am. I expected it in full detail too. Your sensitive spots, the way I made you feel, and maybe even a few additional insights,” Daniel shrugged as he stepped close and brushed a hand down the mark beneath his ear, Seongwoo barely resisted a shiver at the gentle brush of his fingertips, “Or...” He trailed off as he leaned back on his desk with his arms crossed, “Did you forget how things went down? Because I could give you a refresher if you happen to need one,” He finished with another one of those annoying smirks that Seongwoo had been wanting to wipe off his face.

The ravenette’s hands unconsciously tightened the hold on his own crossed arms barely holding in his irritation. As if once wasn’t enough, Daniel just wanted to see him squirm.

Well, two can play that game. Seongwoo isn’t new to the act, he’s had more one night stands than he could count. If Daniel just wanted to use him for a good time, then he’ll show him a fucking good time in his own way. He himself has been deprived of his ‘stress reliever’ anyway.

“Hm, I don’t know…” He started with a small head tilt as he took slow strides until there was barely any space between him and Daniel’s long legs. The other kept the smirk on his face and Seongwoo had never felt more driven to do what he planned to. The older man leaned in, mouth hovering over the underboss’ ear enough to breathe down the junction of his neck and shoulder.

“Was it… something like this?” He simply said before biting down on that spot a bit harder than intended so it had Daniel groaning. Seongwoo boldly held Daniel by his head and forced his head to the side giving him more access to the exposed flesh nipping, biting, sucking, marking wherever he can finally wiping off that annoying grin off his face.

But Seongwoo doesn’t stop. The hand that held the underboss’ head slid down his chest and abs until it stopped on Daniel’s thick thighs. Daniel held him close, arms wrapping themselves around his small waist and pulled him towards himself until he was practically straddling his lap. The ravenette’s hands continue to explore the larger man’s torso from his firm pecs down to his toned abs with just the tip of his fingers.

Daniel unexpectedly latched onto Seongwoo’s own neck when he pulled back for some air and pulled him closer until their crotches were grinding on one another. Seongwoo gasped and held onto Daniel’s thighs for support as his underboss ravished his neck and grinded down on their semi-hard erections. But Seongwoo refused to let him win tonight, he wanted to be partially in control, unlike the last time when he was drugged to full submission.

Seongwoo held Daniel down by his thighs to stop his grinding and unbuckled his pants until he got his cock free. The firearm specialist wrapped his long fingers around the base and slowly pumped at the cock until Daniel started dripping precum. But the silver-haired underboss refused to stop marking all over his neck. If anything, he might have had a chain of bruises around it with how much Daniel's been giving him for the past five minutes.

The underboss doesn’t waste any time and pulled out a small bottle of lube from one of his drawers and pops open the cap. Before he could even pour out the thick liquid, Seongwoo snatched it away from his reach. “You can’t touch me there,” He simply said as he unbuckled and pulled down his own pants.

The firearm capo lubed up his fingers and brought his hand down to his own hole poking at the entrance. “You can only watch,” Without any more delay, Seongwoo inserts one finger into himself and explored his own hole with his head thrown back. Daniel continued to seize his neck but with his eyes now focused downwards where he could see Seongwoo’s fingers disappearing into his ass. The older capo eventually added more digits until he was thrusting into himself with three of his fingers buried deep inside himself and Daniel was practically drooling at the sight.

The man looked sinful as he fucked himself with his fingers brushing against his own prostate every so often it makes him keen. Daniel has never felt hornier watching someone try and fuck himself, Seongwoo just always had that effect on him that made him hot and bothered.

Out of curiosity and for being horny, Daniel inserted one into Seongwoo and it caught him off guard causing him to gasp and rest his head on Daniel’s broad shoulders. The underboss smirked and slowly thrust in and out making sure to push at his prostate every time he dug in deep and it just made Seongwoo arch beautifully from ecstasy. Eventually, Seongwoo pulled out his and Daniel’s fingers leaving a trickling trail of lube dripping down from his ass. Before Daniel could even make a move, Seongwoo once again snatched the lube and slicked up Daniel’s own cock.

“Again, you can only watch or you’re not getting it at all” He warned as he turned his back towards Daniel before sitting back on his lap. Daniel gets the hint and slid his hand down Seongwoo’s back from his shoulder all the way down to his ass making sure to give both cheeks a long squeeze. _Now, this is going to be quite a show._ Seongwoo pushed himself back and rubbed Daniel’s cock along his crack. When the firearms capo readjusted himself in Daniel’s lap, the ravenette lifted himself off of the other using his arms on the desk and aligned himself with Daniel’s cock. The thick and hard flesh pulsating with want as Seongwoo slowly filled himself up with the underboss’ cock.

Daniel drank in the sight of his wrecked right-hand man. Seongwoo’s back arched as his hips reached the hilt and the underboss took his time using his hands to roam all over the capo’s torso. His large hands groped wherever he could causing the other’s shirt to ride up to his chest. While Seongwoo adjusted to his size, Daniel spent his time playing around with the older man’s nipples.

After a few minutes of catching his breath, Seongwoo once again braced himself on the desk and lifted himself up before sinking back down. Daniel’s cock was quite big, much bigger than his fingers could ever be. Using his hands to support his weight, Seongwoo started fucking himself down onto Daniel’s erection while the silver-haired underboss used his hands to assist Seongwoo by holding him up by his ass.

Moans and grunts bounced off the walls of the small office space as Seongwoo continued to fuck himself on Daniel’s cock by his desk. When his arms started to tremble, Daniel took charge and started to thrust his hips upwards to meet Seongwoo midway. The two men continued to thrust, one towards the small man and the other down to Daniel’s hips.

When Daniel caught Seongwoo lowering his guard, Daniel suddenly flipped them over until Seongwoo was pushed down on Daniel’s desk where he was forced to hold onto the edges. Albeit knocking onto some papers and knick-knacks on his desk, he simply shrugged it off and gave a firm hold on Seongwoo’s hips before he started to snap his hips hard towards Seongwoo’s own.

“A-Ah!” The firearm capo moaned as Daniel continued to attack his sensitive hole with his powerful thrusts. It didn’t take long ‘til the underboss found that sensitive spot buried deep inside Seongwoo when the said capo started pushing himself back onto Daniel’s hips at a particular angle. But Seongwoo stopped him as he held Daniel’s hips while he tried to catch his now labored breath.

Eventually, Seongwoo resumed pushing his hip back onto Daniel’s. The underboss stood still and admired the sight as his right-hand man slowly and deeply fucked himself with Daniel’s cock. The man continued to push and pull his hips away from Daniel’s own until Daniel eventually pushed them both towards the edge when the underboss suddenly started thrusting at a quick pace.

Seongwoo came first when Daniel pumped his cock in time with his own thrust while the underboss followed suit after giving a few more hard thrusts into the smaller man. The two men remained in their positions as they both came down from their high. Daniel eventually pulled out causing Seongwoo to fall as his knees buckled with the lack of support.

Daniel zipped himself up and half knelt by the floor as he took Seongwoo’s chin in his hand. “As always, you look as beautiful as I thought you’d be after an orgasm” He grinned as he saw Seongwoo’s flushed face with his half-lidded eyes all blown and dilated. At least this time he was modest enough to zip his pants back up and threw him the tissue roll by his desk.

“Clean yourself up, you’ve still got a long day ahead of you babe,” He said while he brushed his hand along the numerous marks that littered Seongwoo’s neck. “This oughta tell ‘em you’re mine and mine alone,” Daniel pressed his lips on his neck one last time before he stood up and left the room leaving Seongwoo to fix himself up on his own.

The firearm capo made use of the tissue and wiped himself off of his sweat and the cum dripping off of his hole. After he made himself presentable, Seongwoo placed the tissue back onto the desk and grabbed onto the edge. His lower half wasn’t at it’s best after all so he needed a bit of a boost to hoist himself up.

After a long sigh, Seongwoo finally pulled himself up and flinched at the sharp pain in his lower back. “That little― Ah fuck…” He cursed to himself and took a moment to regain his composure. Indeed the day was still young and he still had shipments to go over for today before he had to leave for an actual dealing scheduled late in the afternoon. With another sigh, Seongwoo pushed himself off the desk and did his best to mask the limp on his walk.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

Usually, going over the shipments weren’t such a big deal but today, Seongwoo just found it a bit difficult from the usual. It required a lot of walking, after all, the pain on his lower back wasn’t a really pleasant feeling in every step he took. But for today, he just needed to get the deal over with and his duties would be done for today.

“Already went through everything for the deal, get all the crates in the truck,” He simply said to Jaehwan who stood by his side. “Wow, you’re actually taking me on a deal this time?”

“No, you’re just going to load it.” The younger capo whined and even held onto his arm like a child, “But you rarely take me with you! I’m always stuck here rotting away in this warehouse with no glimpse of the outside world!”

“Because you’re unfortunately the most reliable one next to me, so I need you to stay in the base and make sure everything is still as I left it.” He said with one of his signature poker faces but it was enough to make Jaehwan let go and pretend to dust off the dirt on his clothes, “Well, if that’s the case, why didn’t you say so? Indeed someone needs to keep the place in check. Good thinking, now let me just get those trucks loaded for you.” He said before he casually struts away with a more confident aura in his steps.

Seongwoo merely rolled his eyes and went out for a much-needed smoke. It’s been a while since he got his hands on those nicotine sticks after all. Just as he took a long drag, he spotted a dark figure move by his peripheral vision. He was about to take out the gun he had in his leg holster, but then he got a clear shot of the boy so he reverted back to his relaxed state.

Turns out, it was just that computer kid Bae Jinyoung leaving the base. For whatever reason, Seongwoo had no idea. Not like it was his business anyway. The kid looked like he barely sees the sunlight so he might as well let him be.

“The trucks are now loaded thanks to the reliable Kim Jaehwan!”

With that, Seongwoo dropped the cigarette and put out the light before he made his way back with the rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess you could say this was a bit of a filler? But we thought it might've been better to show if there was anything different after the last incident so... Daniel is a little more forward so somehow Seongwoo is using it to his own advantage. That kind of dynamic.
> 
> ... sort of. 
> 
> AAANYWAY, the major arc should be coming soon. And by soon, I mean the next chapter is literally the transition towards that 'major' part of the story so hopefully you can look forward to that so... yeah.
> 
> **Unfortunately, me and ash haven't had the time to work together properly so the writing process gets delayed. Soooo as early as now, we're already warning you that the next update may be late if we don't get to finish it on time. We'll at least tell you all beforehand**


	9. Greetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Foul language

There were some days when Seongwoo could let loose in the gang. Occasionally, he would feel more like he was part of the mafia group than he was with the authorities. When he feels this way, it’s usually because it’s a slow day and Jaehwan managed to grab himself some pills in the drugs department (the higher-ups knew but Jaehwan was doing a good job they let it slide every now and then) while Seongwoo would have a smoke in their office.  It was times like this that his facade didn’t feel like one. But today was slightly different because Daniel was around.

It used to be just Seongwoo putting up with Jaehwan’s irrelevant slice of life rants, but now when it was a slow day Daniel would invite himself into their sessions. Sometimes he would even ask Jaehwan to hand over some drugs so they could share. This wasn’t one of those times. Currently, Jaehwan was going on and on about who knows what (Daniel and Seongwoo stopped listening fifteen minutes ago) while the underboss and right-hand man were on the couch. Seongwoo’s legs were over Daniel’s lap, both smoking and locking eyes every so often.

“Enough about me, though,” Jaehwan said. That was a first. “What about you, Ong?”

“What about me?” Seongwoo asked after taking a long drag and blowing smoke into the air.

“How was your night with Unsaved Number?” Jaehwan asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“You’re fucking high already,” Seongwoo said in a flat tone.

“I fucking wish.” Jaehwan laughed maniacally afterward, supporting Seongwoo’s earlier statement. “But I saw you take one look at Unsaved Number’s text and you bolted. Whoever they are, they must be a really good fuck buddy.”

Jaehwan was teasing, obviously, but it didn’t set right with Daniel. A kind of possessive instinct took over him and he visibly stiffened. Seongwoo threw a questioning look his way as he lit his third cigarette.

“Who?” Daniel asked Seongwoo, head turned to face him. If he was to answer truthfully then he’d blow his whole cover because the unsaved number Jaehwan kept referring to was actually Minhyun bothering him for updates and he couldn’t have that so he lied through his teeth. It wasn’t hard; this was basically his job.

“So you switched from calling them Booty Call to Unsaved Number?” Seongwoo asked Jaehwan who was grinning smugly. It was an indirect question to Daniel’s answer.

“It seems like the same number to me.” Jaehwan shrugged, answering truthfully. Daniel suddenly puts an arm around Seongwoo’s shoulder and pulled him closer so that Seongwoo was practically sitting on his lap already. He wrapped his other arm around Seongwoo’s chest and interlocked his hands so that the older man was caught in a loose hug courtesy of Kang Daniel.

“What do you mean?” Daniel glared at Jaehwan suspiciously. For a moment Seongwoo imagined him as a child that didn’t want to share his favorite toy. But just as soon as it popped into his head, he immediately remembered that Daniel was younger than him and he really just was a toy to play around with. Jaehwan continued to laugh like a hyena, obviously catching the temporary high already.

“What’s going on here?” Jaehwan wiped away imaginary tears from his eyes. “Are you guys a couple now or something? Don’t get me wrong, you look great together.” That was about as coherent as Jaehwan could get for he was back to throwing a fit of laughter now. To that, Daniel smiled with satisfaction.

“Hear that, baby?” Daniel leaned in so that his mouth was brushing Seongwoo’s ear. “Even Jaehwan thinks we look good together.” Daniel ran his hands down Seongwoo’s torso slowly and Seongwoo could only do his best not to flinch and grimace at the contact. Jaehwan was too busy laughing to pay mind to the other two in the room. Just as Daniel’s hand was about to reach Seongwoo’s crotch, the raven-haired man’s phone rang. 

The two men should really consider themselves lucky, Seongwoo was practically itching to pull out his gun hidden within his jacket. The capo fished the device out of his pocket and checked who the caller was. 

“Unsaved Number?” Daniel frowned, looking like he had bitten into something extremely bitter. Seongwoo didn’t want to dwell on what the look on his face meant.

“I’ll just take this call. It’s probably an annoying client I didn’t bother to save as a contact. See you later.” Seongwoo excused himself politely and walked out of the room leaving a hysterical Jaehwan and frustrated Daniel behind.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

“Boss, we found them,” Oh how Taehyun has longed to hear those words. It’s been a month since the major damages were done by two men and Taehyun has been itching to know just who they are. “Leave it there,” He commands as he consumed the remaining length of his cigarette. The man threw it away to the ashtray as it became too short and took the file containing the long-awaited information.

Taehyun wasn’t a man of revenge. There’s been more stealing incidents than he could count, it wasn’t new nor was it a regular occurrence. The previous ones were all as petty as a common thief. But this one was different, it involved casualties and deaths including stolen firearms and mescaline.

And the death was the interim leader himself. Originally, he chose to leave one of their core members behind to make sure nothing happens to the stocks. Though he took it back and decided to assign them to the bigger remote branches. But when he thinks back, he could have lost a friend. A family member. And that was enough to make him realize that he needed to teach these men a lesson.

Kang Daniel and _Ong Seongwoo._

As he looked through candid photos and the details of their location, it didn’t take him long to piece together the information. No doubt, it was that large group with a second branch located in Busan. “How careless,” Taehyun mused to himself as he read the details that mentioned a certain ‘Kang’ being the current head of the said group.

“Bastard’s got guts, I’ll give him that,” He mumbled to no one in particular. Though he has to admit, the second man was quite breathtaking. Tall, thin, slender, with legs that could go on for days. If he only found him first, then maybe things would have been a little more fun. _Was this the boy toy they mentioned?_

The boss chuckled to himself as he tucked the files back into the folder and strode back towards the rest. “Get Hyunbin and Donghan,” He said, voiced laced with a demanding aura as the henchmen ran off with a quick ‘yes, sir’. As expected, the two came as quick as they could with a quick bow.

“You called?”

“Tsk, I already told you to stop the bowing, didn’t I? We’re all family here,” He playfully said with a light smack, “S-Sorry, old habits die hard I guess,” The tallest one said with a sheepish scratch on his cheek, “I never even asked you to bow before, Hyunbin,”

“Right… Sorry…” Hyunbin mumbled as he scratched his head. “So what did you call us for?” The other male asked, “Ah Donghanie, straightforward as always,” Taehyun shrugged with a small chuckle before his demeanor goes back to being serious, “Set up a small team with the best fighters,” He said and waves around the folder in his hands.

“We’re going to pay a visit,” Donghan stopped Hyunbin before he could respond in affirmation, “Is this about that heist?” He said and Taehyun chuckled, “If it is, are you going to stop me?” He said with a threatening undertone but the two knew it was more of a playful taunt, this was Noh Taehyun they were talking about after all.

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I’m against it or anything,” Donghan quickly defends before he is misunderstood. “But you haven’t done this to the previous cases, what makes this one different?” The small man scoffed, he found it unbelievable how the other man couldn’t understand. Then again, he was the youngest of the core members. Maybe he has yet to understand.

“They killed them, Donghan. The newest additions to our family,” Taehyun said with an aura that radiated  grief and anger judging by his clenched fists, “They were killed as a part of their escape and that itself is already unforgivable,”  

Donghan opened his mouth to retort but Taehyun beats him to it, “Imagine if it were one of us,” The two were instantly silenced but the leader continued, “Imagine if it was someone else If it was Kenta, Sanggyun, or Yongguk.” Hyunbin clenched his fists at the thought.

“Remember how that day went? Remember the morning before I sent everybody out?” Taehyun’s voice was unconsciously going higher, “Sanggyun was originally assigned to that branch, he was supposed to be the acting leader that day. Don’t you see?” Taehyun’s clenched fists were trembling, his anger seeped out of his entire being as he held onto Donghan’s shirt to get the point across.

“We could have lost him, he would have fucking died if he didn’t decide to go with Kenta instead. Don’t you see? We could have lost a friend, a fucking brother. I am not letting this incident slide with that thought haunting me every single night,”  

“They messed with my family and I’m not letting them get away with it,” Taehyun finally let out a shaky sigh and eventually calmed down, hands letting go of the now crumpled fabric of Donghan’s shirt. “If you understand all that then get to work and set up the team,”

“Of course,” Came the simultaneous reply of both men before they left the room.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

“Check up on the current delivery, they should have arrived by now and I expect an immediate update,”

“Guanlin, go over the list. You know what to do,”

“Get the ecstasy and heroin in the back, and you better do it right this time! I won’t tolerate your shit this time so do your job right instead of being a lazy bitch,” Kang Daniel has always been strict about the drug business. It was his specialty after all and he was close to getting everything just as how he wanted it to be. If he manages to finish this earlier, then he might have some spare time to drop by in the firearm’s sector to check on progress.

Daniel wasn’t quite sure when Seongwoo started ‘fighting back’, but that was what made things all the more interesting. What started out as obnoxiousness from him became a strange kind of flirting (If you can even call it that). Although he wasn’t quite sure how it happened, he didn’t care as long as he gets to mess with that pretty boy.

Speaking of the pretty boy, has he even returned? He should probably get his work over and done and maybe (if he’s lucky), he’ll get another taste of that stubborn man.

“Take over for a bit, will ya?” He said out of the blue as he gestured to Guanlin who merely nodded in reply. “Already used to you leaving at whatever time you wish anyway,” Was all he said as he goes back to the list in hand, “You wound me Lin-ah,” He said with extra dramatics as he clutched onto his chest.

“I learned from the best,” Guanlin shrugged with a smirk, Daniel opened his mouth to retort but nothing came out and he ends up closing it in defeat. “Touche, you’re getting good at this I’m feeling kind of threatened now,” Daniel faked a shiver as he made his way out with a chuckle.

“Later LinLin!” He called out one last time before he finally left the sector and made his way to the other side. Albeit carefree and a tad playful, Daniel made sure to keep his guard up and made sure he still radiated authority and intimidation. Being the underboss, it wouldn’t be nice to display weaknesses to the others.

It didn’t take long ‘til Daniel got to the firearms sector of the base and started roaming around the area. Unfortunately for him, he hasn’t seen a glimpse of Seongwoo’s comma-styled hair or tall and lithe physique. Instead, he saw the co-capo Kim Jaehwan going about doing his job.

“It’s only been like five hours and you’re back already? Wow, you must have some major drought period or something,”

“Fuck off, Kim” Honestly, Daniel is sometimes baffled at how casual Jaehwan could get. But then he’s reminded of all the times they spent as comrades in Seoul before he even became an underboss and that was enough of an explanation.

“So where’s he?” Daniel asked with hands unconsciously resting on his hips as he continued to look around. “Not here, obviously,” Came Jaehwan’s curt reply and Daniel couldn’t help but glare, “Okay okay, chill dude. He just went out and he hasn’t been back,” Jaehwan said, hands raised by his head in surrender before Daniel decides to bash his head in.

“Went out where?” Yet Jaehwan once again shrugged, “Didn’t tell me anything, left before I could ask.” Daniel sighed in frustration, either towards Jaehwan for being useless at the moment or walking all the way here for nothing. Whichever applies, really. If he had no more business here, then he might as well leave. But before he could turn towards the door, one of his henchmen ran into the room and called out his name.

“There’s been an emergency,” He tried to explain in between breaths, Daniel merely raised a brow at the message.

“Explain,” The man gained his composure and let out a heavy sigh to stabilize his breathing. “It’s the shipments you sent earlier and― Fuck, we contacted them for updates but they were intercepted,” The men hastily reported and Daniel stiffened at the news. His routes were perfectly planned, away from the nearest police stations and even the residential areas themselves to avoid being spotted frequently.

“Fuck,” It didn’t make sense to him, he even sent them out during non-peak hours to make sure the chances of finding witnesses is minimized for extra measure. Did the police intercept them? That would spell out bad news and could tear down the entire Busan headquarters.

“Who intercepted them?” Daniel asked hoping the ‘police’ wouldn’t be the word that passes through his lips. “It’s…” The henchmen paused and even brought his phone closer to his ear as if he couldn’t believe it himself.

“It’s another group, sir”

“Well fan-fucking-tastic,” Daniel scoffed, “Looks like someone wanted to pay a visit, it would be rude not to greet them now, wouldn’t it?” The silver-haired underboss smirked at the thought.

“Jaehwan,”

“What?”

“I think it’s about time to distribute those Berettas and Sauers, better call pretty boy back in here too,” Jaehwan wasn’t so sure, but Daniel sounded rather amused at the idea of facing another gang they probably don’t know of,

“Is this suppose to be a face-off?” Daniel once again scoffed,

“It’s just as I said, we’re just going to give them a… a warm welcome to our territory,”

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

Seongwoo took a little longer than necessary to find a spot he deemed safe enough to make a call. He was in enemy territory after all, the risks were high but Minhyun’s urgency made him too curious.

“Why couldn’t you just text?” Seongwoo said as soon as he picked up the call.

“It was important,” Minhyun said, tone urgent. Seongwoo wanted to argue with him as usual but decided against it.

“Then what are you waiting for? Spill the information.” Seongwoo demanded. He knew Minhyun was probably rolling his eyes on the other line.

“Daehwi picked up on some suspicious activity with the new routes you’ve submitted a few days ago. Geumhwansang Pa has been using this route but there’s a sudden increase in the volume of people. Seems like even people who aren’t from there are intercepting your routes.” Minhyun explained briefly.

“Daehwi?” Seongwoo questioned first.

“After Samuel quit, he’s been taking up the hacking and all,” Minhyun said.

“Ah,” Seongwoo said, indicating he understood. “So you think something is brewing with another gang?”

“That’s what the data shows. They’re not Kang’s men so they may not be that big of a threat but it could brew a gang fight.” Minhyun warned. “I suggest you check on it before anyone else notices or else trouble could spring up in those locations.”

“Alright, I got it.” Seongwoo hung up the phone and thought about his plan of action. Relaxation time was over and it was time to fulfill his duties again. He went inside the warehouse and it seemed like chaos ensued during the brief moment he was gone. Left and right, people were rushing and grabbing equipment. A colleague was passing by so Seongwoo grabbed hold of his shoulder to catch his attention.

“What’s going on?” Seongwoo asked but his colleague only knew so much.

“Kang wants everyone to report at the main hall armed with Berettas and Sauers. I’m not exactly sure why, could be a drill but you know better than to go against him.” Seongwoo nodded at the man’s words and walked off. He went straight to Daniel’s office where he was sure he could find the underboss and interrogate him about what was happening. Without warning, he barged into the office only to see Daniel standing shirtless, back faced to him. He pulled on a black shirt quickly though Seongwoo couldn’t possibly miss the huge dragon tattoo that ran down his back.

“Seongwoo, about time you got back. What took you so long?” Daniel asked, turning around.

“What’s going on?” Seongwoo asked in return, clearly confused with the commotion going on outside. Daniel smirked at him.

“Suit up, pretty boy, Jinyoung tracked the gang that’s been pestering our trades,” Daniel said passing Seongwoo and heading out the door. “We leave in ten minutes.”

_ Looks like Daehwi was right.  _ Seongwoo thought before he made his way to his own sector. In his three years of going undercover, not once did they need any confrontation with another group. 

_ Guess there’s always going to be a first for everything. _

Seongwoo decided to suit up the same way he did for their solo heist: leg holsters on both thighs, Cz75 hidden in his jacket, and a few bombs hooked on his belt. There’s never a guarantee it could go well especially if it was between two gangs after all. After giving himself a quick once over, Seongwoo wore his fingerless gloves in case of close combat and went on his way.

A few of Geumhwansang Pa was already by the front, a majority being the group’s core group comprised of each sector’s capos. Though Daniel thought it was already enough to go on ahead. 

“The fuck is taking the other’s so long?” Daniel growled with an impatient tap of his foot. “We’re wasting time, tell the rest to catch up as fast as they can,” The underboss turned to the readied majority with another confident smirk, “Well, then let’s greet the guest, shall we?” 

The men gave out a battle cry before they all proceeded to follow Daniel as they marched their way out where the interception took place.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

“Would you look at that? We got a jackpot in our hands,” Taehyun mused as he opened one of the crates supposedly being delivered filled with heroin and ecstasy. “Not as precious but it’s better than nothing, right?” The men yelled out in affirmation and started to take the contents of the crates into their own.

“Now,” The small man jumped off the crate and strolled over to the men held in place, “What to do with you?” He said in a sing-song voice as he playfully pranced around the tied men. “I’d spare your life but let’s be honest, that wouldn’t really be fun,” He shrugged as he took out the cigarette pack in his pocket. 

“What do you think?”

_ “Kill ‘em!” _

_ “A good beating!” _

_ “Fuck, I kinda want to keep the other one,”  _

“Woah there, hold your horses,” Taehyun laughed at the unexpected enthusiastic reply. “Let’s decide one-by-one, shall we?” The rest once again rowdily agree just as Taehyun lit his cigarette. “Now let’s do this one-by-one! First one ―!”

“Will go come back to us,” A deep voice interrupts and it has the group scowling. For there at the other side stood the silver-haired underboss, Kang Daniel. “That would include the rest of my men and the drugs, thank you very much,” He added with a cheeky smile, one with obvious underlying meanings judging by the difference his aura radiated from his appearance.

But Taehyun didn’t feel fear, he felt rather amused and even let out a loud laugh. “Wow, you really were dumb enough to come out!” He wheezed in between his laughing fit, almost to the point of wiping away a fake tear. 

“And this is my territory,” Daniel scowled with the glimmer of anger now evident in his eyes, “You messed with the wrong crowd, the fuck are you anyway?” Taehyun merely looked amused and even dared to stand a few feet in front of Daniel with his men right behind him to act as support.

 

“787’s Noh Taehyun at your service,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyoooo so yeah, there's bound to be something big happening in the next chapter. And I'm sure you can tell from the events that transpired in this chapter lol 
> 
> anywayz, sorry for the delay as well! For those who don't follow me on twitter, my co-author ash got sick for a few days so we couldn't write when  
> she wasn't feeling well (I mean, why would be when she should be resting lmao) so I hope you all understand c: 
> 
> Also, since this update was delayed, the next updates might be posted every Saturday now unless we manage to get back to Friday lol see yall in the next update :D


	10. Battlefield

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Foul language, Violence

_787,_ they introduced themselves. Seongwoo observed their short leader filled with swagger. There was an aura of playfulness but he’s hung out with enough psychopaths in the gang to know that demeanors can change in a snap. Noh Taehyun, head of the opposing gang, smiled amusingly at Daniel as if to challenge him then looked around at the men that were behind him. His eyes lingered on Seongwoo, even daring to look at him from head to toe. He walked ever so slowly towards Seongwoo.

“What a pretty little thing,” Taehyun said, reaching out to cup Seongwoo’s cheek but Daniel’s instantly got an iron grip to his wrist. Taehyun’s men bring up their guns and so does Daniel’s. It felt like the entire world stood still and fell silent. A menacing smile found its way on Taehyun’s lips as he looked at Daniel. He raised his free hand as a sign to his men to drop their weapons and they follow obediently. He yanks his hand away from Daniel’s hold and walks back so that he was standing a little farther from them.

“Noh Taehyun from 787,” Daniel spoke, voice dangerously low. “Talk already.”

“Whatever do you mean?” Taehyun asked, voice airy and playing innocent.

“Well, you’re on my turf, capturing my men, and interrupting my business,” Daniel growled. Even though he looked menacing, Taehyun was hardly fazed by the underboss. He ignored the opposite leader and went over back to the men they held hostage. Taehyun kicked one in the ribs for good measure. “You aren’t gonna fucking talk?!” Daniel stomps forward and the men are back in position, guns aimed at him as his own men aim their guns at the other side.

“Why would I answer to you?” Taehyun spat. “What makes a motherfucking asshole like you so special that I have to tell you anything?”

“Because, you dumb ass fucker, I’m the acting leader of Geumhwansang Pa and I will not hesitate to blow your fucking brains out if you won’t stop or explain yourself you attention-seeking whore.” Daniel brought out his own pistol and aimed it directly at Taehyun for good measure.

“787 is family to us.” Another man spoke up in place of Taehyun.

“Who the fuck are you?” Daniel rolled his eyes, getting tired of the games they were playing. Lucky for him, the man who spoke was far more rational to talk to.

“Donghan,” he supplied. “As I was saying, you didn’t just manage to piss us all off, every single life in 787 is valued and you’ve taken more than just precious drugs. Those were our brothers so we’re just repaying the favor tenfold.”

After hearing the explanation, Daniel burst out in laughter. Seongwoo stole a glance at Taehyun. The other leader was stiff and unmoving. However, his eyes were blank yet full of emotion at the same time and that’s what terrified Seongwoo. Taehyun twirled the pistol in his hand and turned to face Daniel ever so slowly.

“And what is so funny to you?” Any evidence of the former Taehyun had vanished. There was no more nonchalance and warmth in his tone. This was it- this was the inner psychopath snapping.

“You treat those low-lives like family?” Daniel scoffed. “They were pieces of shit. If they were under me, I would have killed them myself for being so incompetent to stop only two men. Granted, those two men were extremely crafted with their work.” Daniel added with a shrug, raising his own ego. “Point is those men you lost weren’t brothers but dead weights. You should be down on your knees fucking thanking me for what I did. But I guess your small gang needs all the help it can get, right?”

In the short pause of silence, Woojin was suddenly in front of him with Taehyun’s fist in his hand. “A piece of shit doesn’t deserve to talk about my family like trash, underbosses like you should just stay down and be quiet like the obedient dog you are!”

“Oh?” Daniel nonchalantly hummed as if the attempt didn’t affect him at all. But god forbid, Seongwoo has never wanted to smack Daniel so hard on the head when he heard his next words.

“Make me,”

Those two words were enough to cause chaos to ensue in that small forest clearing. The only good thing here was how they were far from the city since they positioned the headquarters in a remote area along Haeundae. What first started out as a fist fight instantly broke out into a deathmatch as several of the men from both parties took out their own firearms.

“This is getting way out of hand―!” Seongwoo mumbled to himself as he hid behind one of the trees with both pistols in his hands. “Got that right,” Jaehwan said as he loaded his magazine. “I guess I forgot to tell you Kang can be reckless too,” Seongwoo scoffed, “This is beyond what I’d call reckless,” He couldn’t help but reply, irritation clear in his tone.

He lost sight of Daniel. Though with Woojin being the closest to him before chaos erupted, he assumed Woojin and Jihoon were right beside him.

_Not like he couldn’t handle himself._

Seongwoo slowly peeped from the tree, he needed a clear grasp of the situation. Luckily, no one found his position yet but a majority were focused on Daniel for being the number one offender of their group. No bullet has gone their way as he stayed low and peeped from the spaces of the bushes.

Their group was large but a majority of them were focused around Taehyun. It seemed the two fighters of their respective groups had their own brawl a few feet away. Although the size of Woojin and Jihoon paled in comparison to the towering offense of 787, they held their ground well and Seongwoo was rather impressed.

No man stood by the clearing, it was too deadly with all the bullets whizzing past it. There was a group to his right but only several to his left. He would most probably have to take them out first. Taehyun’s group was a bit farther from the rest, a typical chess like formation.

And there, who stood farthest from his spot, was the silver-haired airhead along with Guanlin and the others. It seemed like even he stood his ground with all the people he took down with his own gun. Though what pissed him off was the rather excited look on his face as if he wasn’t fighting to protect his own life.  

If he could just get there, then maybe they could make their own escape from this catastrophe. Though he had to get past at least three groups to get there. Damn, how did they get separated like this? At least he still had Jaehwan by his side, he was reliable enough.

“I’ve got an idea,” Seongwoo raised his voice amidst the whizzing noises to get Jaehwan’s attention. “This isn’t like Kang’s, is it?” Jaehwan said with that skeptical face that Seongwoo couldn’t help roll his eyes.

“I’m not that idiotic and you know it,”

“Though you admitted to being idiotic in a way, so what do you have?”

“Fuck you,” Seongwoo let out another exasperated sigh, “We need to get to Kang but we’ll have to get through three groups to get there, I don’t think the other 787 groups noticed we got separated so this should be easier for us since we’ve got long-range weaponry,”

“Are you saying we’ll play sniper?”

“No, your aim sucks. I’m playing sniper and you’ll be like the frontline of our little troop,”

“Well, sounds good enough to me,” At least this guy was cooperative.

“Doesn’t need to be head-on, at least get several of them crippled and it would be easier to take them down even if we have to do close combat,” Seongwoo scanned the area one last time and loaded both of his pistols.

“Now or never. I’ll go a bit farther from here so on the count of three, run to your left and hide by a bush or a tree as close enough as you can. Got it?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Don’t call me that,” The capo groaned before he took a step back, “On the count of three,” He said as he slowly backed away making sure no one caught sight of them yet.

 

“One,”

 

“Two,”

 

“Three!”

 

Off they went to their respective posts, Seongwoo at least a few trees away diagonal to Jaehwan’s own location to make sure they could still read each other’s signals.

The first group had several of the ones firing off into the clearing, clearly disregarding the probability of a back attack. The two firearm specialists laid low and swiftly hid from each tree to get close enough to their targets. Seongwoo raised a hand at Jaehwan and pointed to the one in the center. Jaehwan nodded in reply and got into position.

One thing Seongwoo could never look down on was Jaehwan’s own skills.

One moment he was laughing with that shrill and irritating tone, the next he’s taking down his enemies with a practiced precision. Not as accurate as him but he was still above the rest. So when two of the group of six went down with cries of pain, Seongwoo took a few shots of his own and took down the other two but the remaining members caught wind of their location and charged at their hiding spots.

Jaehwan isn’t used to close combat so Seongwoo knew he had to take matters in his own hands. “Get down!” The capo shouted to his companion and lept to kick one of the men straight to the head instantly knocking him out cold. The ravenette rolled to the side just in time as the other man aimed a kick at his head. Seongwoo shot at the man just enough to graze both his legs to keep him down.

After he was sure the two wouldn’t get up, he tugged Jaehwan by the sleeve, “Move it, before they warn the rest!” The first group was easy, but it was probably going to get difficult with each group they needed to come across. They just happened to be lucky the first group seemed to be full of newbies.

As they hid behind another tree, Seongwoo scanned the area again. The bullets sounded louder from where they were indicating the next group must have a majority of the shooters. They weren’t too far off, at least four trees away but the trees were large enough to hide two people.

“What’s the plan?” Jaehwan asked while he checked on the number of shots he has left. “Give me a minute,” Was all he said before he went back to looking around. Fair enough, the next group were indeed equipped with multiple firearms.

“Hwan, do you still have plenty of bullets with you?” He called out and was met with large eyes in surprise, “What?” He arched a brow at the seemingly frozen companion,

“Wow, you’re actually giving me nicknames now,”

“Shut up,” Seongwoo muttered, “So do you still have some?”

“I still have enough to fill one more round and that’s it,” The older capo clicked his tongue, he needed to make sure Jaehwan wouldn’t be placed in a situation where he’d need to fire several shots. He didn’t have much on him either. Even if he had two in his hands and an extra inside his coat, he wouldn’t want to belittle 787 since that was the mistake Daniel made. With that in mind, he placed one of his pistols back in his leg holster.

“How’s your footwork? Can you at least be light on your feet with quick movements?”

“I’d like to believe I am manageable in those areas,” Although not completely sure, Seongwoo is rather amazed at how confident he makes himself sound.

“I’ll hold onto that statement then because the next one is going to be tricky. We’ll need to be a lot more animated.” He said as he peeped out from the side of the tree, there were at least five this time but three of them had guns while the two looked more like fighters.

“There’s five of them, three are armed. I need you to take down the other unarmed one while I go for the other.” Seongwoo instructed, eyes not once leaving the said targets. “Got that?”

“Take one out and you go for the other, right. What about the three?” Seongwoo pursed his lips at his next words, “We’ll have to move around make sure their attention is scattered. But since they’re armed, no doubt they’ll shoot at us too so we’ll have to time the shots well. I’ll try to go for two at once”

“Try. Yeah right, we both know missing isn’t really in your vocabulary,” Jaehwan said in a rather sarcastic tone to emphasize the point while Seongwoo merely smirked. “I’ll willingly accept that compliment, now on the count of three, I’ll go over to the other tree. Get into position and wait for my signal.”

Seongwoo doesn’t wait for a reply before he made a huge leap towards another tree. Luckily, controlling his landing wasn’t always a problem so he was able to get there quietly. Jaehwan already had his gun raised as Seongwoo got into position, gun pointed towards the unarmed man with one of the armed men right behind him. If he shot twice with a one-second interval, then he could take both of them down before the other could even process what happened.

The firearm specialist looked back at his fellow capo and raised three fingers for their countdown. Once his count hit one, both capos fired at the unsuspecting men and shot down both while Seongwoo also managed to take down his second target. The two quickly hid behind the trees but the two remaining armed men were quicker than he anticipated as several bullets flew to their direction.

After he signaled Jaehwan to move, both started going behind different trees as they fired shots towards the two armed men. Seongwoo barely misses his shots but shooting while running could drastically decrease his accuracy which caused him to miss several of his shots. After several more shots, Jaehwan finally got his target down followed by Seongwoo’s.

“Nice work,” Seongwoo muttered as he moved over from tree-to-tree to face the last group up ahead. Meanwhile, Jaehwan once again stared at him with those widened eyes it was starting to grow on his nerves.

“What now?”

“Nicknames and praises in one day? Wow, Kang’s stupidity might’ve just been a blessing,” He said with those wiggling eyebrows that Seongwoo couldn’t help but punch his arm. Though it was enough to make Jaehwan laugh but not as loud since they were in the middle of a battlefield.

“Fuck you,”

“I bet you wished you said that to Kang,”

“You little― You’re messed up in the head,” He brushed off the smug look on Jaehwan’s face as they hid behind one of the trees to scan over the last group in their way. Though it seemed like they were going to be the most difficult. All the men were armed and they looked rather large in terms of their physical sizes. Even if they do manage to take a few out, fighting them in close combat was going to be a challenge.

“Say, I never heard about anything about you when it came to close combat,” Seongwoo said with a bit of interest but Jaehwan looked rather stiff at the subject. “W-Well… I’m not really…” The raven arched a brow in question, “Can you at least handle one man?” The latter chewed on his lip in thought, “Wait, what are you planning? Are we supposed to fight those bulldogs head on?!”

“No, but there’s a chance we might have to.”

“Uh… I think I can only handle one” Jaehwan said, for the first time, with hesitation as he looked back at the larger males. “That’s gonna have to do…” There was no other way to it, Seongwoo himself knew that. He and Jaehwan only had limited ammo, they can’t risk any wasted shots but Kang and the rest were up ahead. Maybe it would be alright to use more than the previous groups but it would still be best to have some spares. Then again maybe he should’ve considered taking some of the guns and magazine from the previous groups they took down so Seongwoo was kicking himself for how stupid it was for him to forget.

“Jaehwan, we’ll go with the usual tactic. Shoot one down then we’ll face the rest.” The younger capo sighed as he did another quick check to his magazine, “If that’s what you think is the best way then I guess I can’t really oppose to that,” Just when he was about to get into position, Seongwoo held his wrist. “No matter what the circumstances are when I tell you to run then run. Got that?”

“Okay?” He dragged out the ‘o’ out of the uneasy implication behind those words. “Kang is just up ahead, it would be better if one of us can immediately cover for him,” Seongwoo supplied but he knew it was just for the sake of safety. He could handle himself better than Jaehwan after all.

Without another word, Seongwoo slipped away to another tree a bit farther from the other. As much as possible, he had to get most of the attention on him. Jaehwan was a reliable back up anyway, he could rely on him to cover his back.

 _If I shot twice, would that be enough to divert their attention from Jaehwan?_ He thought to himself. There was no other way to find out. With another glance towards his companion, Seongwoo raised his hand and slowly count down to three. The banging sound of their guns echoed off the trees and hit their respective targets. There were just three of them now.

But they were fast, faster than Seongwoo anticipated they would be.

Unlike the previous groups, they reacted fast and ran towards their direction. “Shit!” Seongwoo muttered and ran as fast as he could to Jaehwan. A few bullets whizzed past him, but the only thought he had in mind was Jaehwan. As much as possible, he preferred they both got out of this unscathed.

Seongwoo reached Jaehwan just when he fired a shot towards the incoming enemy. The raven backed it up with another shot since Jaehwan missed the first and successfully knocked him out when he finished it with a swift punch to his jaw.

 

“Thanks―”

 

“Run.” Seongwoo cut him off before he could even finish.

 

“What―”

 

“I said run!” Seongwoo repeated as he pushed Jaehwan aside to shoot towards the other two guys behind him. “Kang is just up ahead, now run!” He repeated with another push towards the said direction and Jaehwan barely caught himself as he stumbled over his feet. Regardless, he managed to get up and slip away. Before the two larger men could go after his co-capo, Seongwoo fired warning shots enough to focus their attention on him.

Though the two men don’t seem to mind one bit as they aimed their guns towards him, it was only natural he hid behind the closest tree to him. It was a battle of one against two, he was at a total disadvantage. He could hear one of them getting closer, probably trying to corner him. Seongwoo peeped out and fired a few shots where he anticipated the other man was. But the other one was smart, apparently, they lured him out and shot the gun in his hand making it fly away from his reach.

“Dammit―” The raven muttered and took out the gun in his holster and jacket. It’s risky using both his guns at once, but he had no other choice. With a heavy sigh, Seongwoo raised his guns and ran towards the side to transfer trees. Fortunately for him, they were a tad slower since they themselves were already heavy. Seongwoo managed to fire several shots to make them cover but not enough to handicap either. _What a waste of ammo._ Seongwoo clicked his tongue in annoyance.

There were just four shots left, two in each pistol. Great, just how risky can this get? He can’t make any more reckless shots, the next ones had to count.

He didn’t think the two would attack so soon. A second later, fist suddenly swung towards his head but he managed to dive away in time and raised both his guns towards his attackers. _When did they get this close?!_ Without a second to spare, Seongwoo took down his assailant and sacrificed one pistol in the process.

He only had one pistol with two bullets left, definitely not in a favorable situation. The last man standing wasn’t looking too amused either with all the casualties they caused. Although they didn’t kill anyone, injuring a majority of their ‘family’ would be enough to make any of them go off.

The man raised his gun, a Cz75 similar to his. If he could just knock him down then he could take whatever bullets he had on him for spares. The man shot towards him and Seongwoo swiftly leaped to the side before he did a full sprint towards the much larger male.

The Cz75 was a semi-automatic just like his, it can’t shoot two shots in succession since there are intervals. Seongwoo used it to his advantage and got as close as he could and pulled the trigger with his gun aimed at the man’s legs. But he was fast, he managed to step away just as he made the shot.

“Fuck,” Just one bullet left.

Seongwoo skidded to a halt and ran back, he hoped to knock him down with a kick to the back but the large man caught his leg mid-air and threw him to the other side. Luckily he was swift on his movements and managed to land on his feet albeit looking a little unsteady. What surprised him more was the fist that was suddenly a centimeter away. Though he managed to dodge it in the last minute, the abrupt movement caused him to stumble back until his back met a tree. The fist landed just a few inches on the side of his head but he could see the visible dent it made on the bark.

“You’re fast,” The gruff man said as he gripped Seongwoo’s hair. The firearm capo swung his arm at that moment, quick enough to make the other stumble back with a pained cry. Good thing he made use of his half gloves, it was enough to lessen the pain on his hand. “You fucker!” The man growled, Seongwoo instantly pointed his gun at the man thigh to knock him down for good. Now he just needed to regroup with Jaehwan and the rest―

 

_Click._

 

“What?” Seongwoo’s eyes widened by a fraction, he could have sworn he had four bullets left. Did he fire one without knowing? “All out already? What a pity, we were having so much fun!” the man mocked as he rubbed his jaw. Seongwoo clicked his tongue and glanced around. The gun knocked out of his hand earlier, where did it land?

“You’re mine now!” The large man once again came straight at him and the raven ducked as another fist swung above his head. Seongwoo took the chance and landed a solid kick to his stomach. In the man’s disoriented state, the small raven grabbed the outstretched arm above his head and threw him over his head (How he achieved this feat was probably out of adrenaline).

Seongwoo stepped away and caught a quick glint of light through his peripheral vision.

 

The gun.

 

He didn’t need to think twice to run towards the abandoned firearm. The specialist picked it up and was supposed to turn around to finish it off, but the distinct feeling of a barrel pressed against the back of his head was enough to make him freeze on the spot.

“Put it down,” A deep authoritative voice came from the man behind him and Seongwoo had no choice but to comply. He hesitantly placed the gun back down and slowly stood up with his hands raised by his head. “As much as it’d be great to kill you off now… Taehyun seemed to be interested in you earlier,”

_Fucking hell, there is no goddamn way he is going to be captured for that reason._

“If you want to live then I suggest you move it,” Seongwoo took a hesitant step forward, head hung low with the gun digging on the back of his head. When the gun pulled back, Seongwoo instantly bent forward with his hands together as he elbowed the man hard at the abdomen. When the man doubled over in pain, Seongwoo gripped his wrist and the gun in his grasp to keep it pointed away from them. With another hard kick, the man stumbled back and Seongwoo doesn’t waste another moment to aim for his thigh.

The gun goes off, smoke coming out of the muzzle as the man finally collapsed in pain. Seongwoo panted out of exhaustion. After he finally caught his breath, he picked up his abandoned gun on the forest floor and jogged away from the collapsed bodies behind him.

Just in time for more bullet sounds to fill the silence as he recognized more of Geumhwansang Pa’s men flood in from behind Daniel. _Well, they took their goddamn time._ He thought as he finally caught sight of Jaehwan and Daniel along with the others from the core group.

When a bullet whizzed past him, Seongwoo hid behind the closest tree. The others were literally two trees away anyway, not too far off. Seongwoo peeped from the side of the tree, seemed like 787’s shooters decreased because of the number he and Jaehwan took down but the shots were still relentless.

Taehyun and the rest were still together, but it seemed the brawl he saw earlier already ended with the presence of the two men that towered on either side of the shorter man. The said man looked infuriated, fists clenched and Seongwoo could visibly see him trembling in anger. If the way they saw each other as a family was true, then he couldn’t really blame him for being angry. The menacing aura that radiated from Taehyun’s small form was already enough of a warning to not be careless.

“The fuck have you been?!” Daniel’s voice boomed from where he stood as their reinforcements started to push back the opponents.

_Guess this display of manpower should be enough to drive them away and hopefully never come back._

Seongwoo saw Daniel stood as he yelled at the reinforcements, “That idiot!” He muttered just as his peripheral view caught sight of Taehyun taking a gun from Donghan. “How stupid can he get?!” He shouted in frustration, but his initial reaction was to run.

Towards the idiotic silver-haired boss that unconsciously bared his back to the enemy with a gun in his hands.

“GET DOWN!” Seongwoo shouted as he dove towards the oblivious boss. One second he was mid-air pushing Daniel down when a searing pain erupted from his side that caused him to yelp in pain. The next, he felt pain as they ungracefully fell because of Seongwoo who tackled Daniel to the ground, “What the fuck?!” Kang merely said out of surprise, “Oh yeah, I just saved your fucking life, you’re welcome.” He spat on his face as he sat back up with a flinch, pain making itself known where he surely knew would bruise because of the impact.

“We need to go, now!” The raven yelled to his face to make himself heard, the gunshots were more deafening from where they were positioned. “The reinforcements just came! Why be a sissy and run?!”

“We weren’t here to fight in the first place!” Seongwoo cuts him off, “With this, we already won anyway! Now get up and tell them to retreat before we waste any more of our resources on this petty warfare!” With an annoyed growl, Daniel looked back and signaled the rest to head back to the base while the reinforcements hold them off.

Daniel pushed the rest to go on ahead while Seongwoo and Jaehwan used up their remaining ammo to shoot down as much as they can. “Let’s go!” Daniel shouted over the noise and Jaehwan stood up to jog towards the rest who went on ahead.

“C’mon pretty boy, we need to go!” Seongwoo fired his last shot with a glare at the nickname, Daniel had the audacity to smirk even in the middle of a battlefield. As Seongwoo tucked the pistols back in his leg holsters, Daniel pulled him up by the arm that made him yelp once again at the stabbing feeling on his side.

“What’s wrong?” Daniel asked but Seongwoo merely shook his head as he secretly held onto his side, “N-Nothing, let’s go!” The raven capo pushed himself off of the forest floor ran back to the base alongside Daniel.

“I hope you realized how stupid you were today,” Seongwoo muttered when they were far enough from the whizzing noise of the bullets. Yet, the silver-haired boss chuckled, “I have no idea what you’re talking about. T’was fun.”

“T’was fun my ass―”

“Gladly,”

“You almost risked everyone in your mess and manage to throw away valuable weaponry all at once. Oh, how fun that was,” Seongwoo said in the most sarcastic tone he could muster, Daniel merely clicked his tongue in irritation.

When the two get back to the base, the others were already there checking on each other for injuries. As usual, the core members instantly gathered around Daniel to report anything necessary while Seongwoo tried to catch his breath. Meanwhile, Seongwoo felt a little dizzy. Maybe it was because of his low stamina again. It’s been a while since he only had adrenaline to fuel his survival instincts.

Jaehwan approached his fellow capo the moment he got back, and Seongwoo has never seen his eyes as wide as saucers. “Seongwoo! Y-You’re bleeding!” He cried out in horror, “S-Shut it, this is… ngh...” He weakly muttered. But as the adrenaline died down, the pain hit him tenfold causing his knees to buckle and his vision blur. At least Jaehwan was quick enough to catch him.

“What’s going on?!” Daniel’s commanding voice once again echoed through their base as he made his way to the firearm capos

“Fuck,” Jaehwan cursed under his breath as he saw a trail of red droplets lead back to Seongwoo. “He’s losing too much! Get the medics!” The young capo frantically laid the older male down, hands taking over Seongwoo’s own to press down on his wound.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

“That fucking hurts!” The raven capo couldn’t help but scream and writhe under the pressure of Jaehwan’s hands. “Stay still!” Daniel commanded as he held Seongwoo down by his hip and shoulders, but even he had a hard time with how the raven kept thrashing in their hold. "Seongwoo, for fuck's sake, stop moving! You're losing more blood!" Jaehwan said as he pushed down on the wound that caused another pained scream to escape from the injured capo.

Daniel has never seen his expression outside of the usual glares. He always tried to do whatever to break the permanent glare that set itself on his facial features.

This wasn’t one of those times.

This wasn't an expression he wanted to see on him either.

The man was literally dying if they didn’t do anything else. Good thing they actually bothered funding their small infirmary by the corner of the base. But that wasn’t going to be enough, they might just have to bribe another surgeon to treat him without leaking any information. Not like it’s the first time they’d do it.

“He’s losing consciousness!” Jaehwan yelled causing their sense of urgency to spike. “Hurry the fuck up!” Daniel shouted. He refused to lose him like this. Their small team of medics finally took him away and did what they can while one of them called over one of their underground doctors. The underboss has never been happier to actually bother keeping this sector alive.

Daniel looked down, his own hands splattered with a bit of blood, the small trail of red that led back to where Seongwoo laid, and the heavy red that stained Jaehwan’s palms. They were all his, was that what made Seongwoo flinch when they got up for their retreat?

If so, then…

When Seongwoo pushed him down just as a gun went off in the opposite direction. Without a doubt, that was pointed towards him. If not, why else would Seongwoo jump? He saw it coming, Daniel was too careless. He should have known it would be dangerous to stand in the middle of a battlefield. But now he learned it the hard way, by sacrificing one of his own men. His right-hand man to be exact.

 

 

_Daniel took out two bulletproof vests from the back of a parked car and wore the other underneath his own black jacket. “Never been shot. Don’t need it.” Seongwoo nonchalantly replied while loading the magazines of his pistols before putting them back in his leg holsters._

_“Suit yourself,” Daniel shrugged as he wore his black snapback. “Well, shall we proceed?”_

 

 

Daniel wanted to be his first in something, this was most definitely not one of them.

This was all his fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, it's been two weeks yeah we were both busy with Ongniel week and we couldn't find much time to work on this chapter until the third week rolled in. Anywayz, here it is! If the long wait didn't seem worth it then I'm sorry ^^' Hopefully, we can start sticking to our update schedule again.
> 
> [[SHAMELESS PROMOTION]] if you're curious then go check out our works for Ongniel week too and see just what caused the delay of this chapter LOL  
> 'Til next Friday~


	11. Realizations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Foul language

The first thing that registered in his unconscious mind that day was excruciating pain.  

 

In all honesty, it sucked waking up to an overwhelming wave of soreness that blurred his sense of thought. He woke up squirming and writhing in discomfort that day. The slightest movement was enough to make the pain turn into something more it prompted him to curl in on himself, bite his lower lip, or scream. Anything to make the pain go away.

 

_(“Fuck, he’s going to rip his stitches!”_

_“Hold him down!”)_

 

But the next thing he knew, a huge weight held him down that caused panic to rise up from his previously hazy state. When he was able to open his eyes, all he saw was white. People clad in white clothing down to their fingertips, the white ceiling, and the blinding light that forced him to squint. Except for one man who held him down with an all too familiar mop of silver hair.

 

(“Knock him out!”)

 

Seongwoo doesn’t know how long he tried to get away from those hands that forced him down. It wasn’t long before he felt an object, probably a needle, pierce his skin and the next thing he knew his body fell limp as his vision blackened in an instant.

 

The next time he woke up, Seongwoo was much calmer.

 

No struggling or pain, just a heavy sense of numbness that wrapped around his body.

 

Seongwoo slowly opened his eyes and was greeted with the familiar white surface except this time there weren’t any people dressed in white or hands that rendered him immobile. It was just him and his eyes taking in the room where his screams of agony once echoed.

 

“You’re finally up,” Seongwoo heard Jaehwan sighed beside him. Although it took some effort, he managed to turn his head to where Jaehwan stood with what looked like an IV bag.

 

“Where…?” He mumbled. At least he tried to, his throat felt way too dry to talk further. “You’re in the med sector. Bet you forgot we even had one, huh?” The fellow capo chuckled as he switched the nearly empty IV bag with the one he had. That was when Seongwoo noticed the IV drip punctured and taped to his hand.

 

“Why?” Oh, how he resented this condition. He felt like shit and now he could barely utter words. “What do you mean why? You got shot! Remember? And boy was Kang mad,” Jaehwan mused to himself but Seongwoo looked confused.

 

"Right, they already took you away by then but man you should have seen the look on Hanjun’s face! Never seen Kang so fucking angry, like, he went batshit crazy on the dude and shot him at the leg it was so fucking awesome." The younger continued to ramble on just as Seongwoo could finally feel his body responding with the twitch of his fingers.

 

“Water…” Seongwoo tried to say, luckily Jaehwan stopped mid rambling to hear him so he got a glass of water and put in the straw they left on the table. Although he claimed he could handle drinking from the glass, he regretted it the moment he tried to move his upper body. Jaehwan couldn’t help but rub in how right he was to make him drink from the straw but Seongwoo ignored him completely.

 

“You said something about Hanjun?” Was the first thing he said after drinking some of the water to moisten up his throat. “Oh, right. If you don’t remember who he was, Hanjun was the one leading the reinforcements when we left,”

 

“What about him?”

 

 _"_ I can tell you Kang took care of him personally. He was all like ‘where the fuck have you been?’ and bang! He shot him on the leg like what he did to Minsung when he first arrived,” Jaehwan even made an effort to exaggerate with finger guns and self-made sound effects.

 

“Oh, I heard from Woojin that the only reason Hajun is alive is ‘cause Daniel wants to have a session with him. And not the kind of session you guys have where you fuck each other senseless.  Nah mate Kang is gonna torture that fella―”

 

“The fuck―”  Seongwoo turned his head so fast he nearly saw stars and ended up sputtering on his own spit, “Where’d you hear about this bullshit?!”

 

“Thanks for confirming my suspicions so fast,”

 

“I didn’t―”

 

“Your reaction was enough proof, you ain’t deceiving anybody.” Jaehwan triumphantly puffed out his chest as Seongwoo pinched the bridge of his nose with an exasperated sigh. He might as well know how rumors travel so fast in this gang.

 

"How the fuck do you know?"

 

“So you are admitting you do,” Jaehwan wiggled his eyebrows.

 

“Goddammit just answer,” Another annoyed sigh.

 

"Alright, alright,” Jaehwan said with that cocky smirk on his lips. “So how do I know that you're fucking?" Seongwoo doesn’t answer "Doesn't everybody?" The younger capo nonchalantly shrugged, Seongwoo has never looked so shocked yet he did look adorable when he tried to form words in his speechless state.

 

“Are you fucking serious?!” He felt ready to flip out. For real. Though for now, he hid the hint of embarrassment by the use of his hand covering his face (via his palm).

 

“Who’d you hear it from?”

 

“Straight from the guy fucking you,” Jaehwan proudly declared missing the obvious twitch at the corner of Seongwoo’s eye.

 

 _THAT LOUD FUCKTARD I SWEAR_ ―

 

“Goddammit,” Seongwoo cursed to himself and probably ended up rambling about anything and everything against Kang Daniel. If he wasn’t stuck to this bed then maybe he could have sprung up and strangled the said underboss.

 

“And what the hell, who said he was fucking me? I fuck people too and you know it,” Seongwoo said in his defense but Jaehwan merely scoffed.

 

“Yeah but Kang probably wouldn’t let you anyway and don’t think I missed the small limp you had a few weeks back,” In the end, the older capo merely rolled his eyes with another groan.

 

At this point, he could blame a lot on Daniel from the time he was promoted to right-hand man until the recent incident of his first ever bullet wound (which hurts like a bitch by the way). But now he just had to add ‘ruining his reputation’ to the list. Not like he had one to uphold anyway here in this God-forsaken mafia group but still, what did he ever do to deserve this?

 

Though he hasn’t seen the silver-haired underboss, he doesn’t really hope on seeing him any time soon either. Would he even care? Maybe he thought he was just an idiot for taking a bullet for him or something.

 

Come to think of it, was it even worth it? He just risked his life for a man he barely thought deserved to even live with all the things he’s done so why did he even bother?

  
  


_It’s a part of the role._

  
  


… Right. He had a role to play in this fucked up part of society. He had to let his colleagues know of the whereabouts and how they make things work. He’s done plenty for the most part, but it’s been long since he last had an update for Minhyun and the rest. He should really get in touch with them again soon when he can already get off of this bed.

 

But the pain was a real hassle. Even in his immobilized state, the mere act of breathing was enough to make the injured area move the slightest bit and it left an uncomfortable feeling in its wake. If only he had some sort of painkiller than maybe it could subside, even just a smidge.

 

At that moment, his mind clicked. His attention diverted back to the IV drip attached to his arm where the contents of the bag Jaehwan had in his hand dripped its contents. “Why are you even here? Don’t you have some work to do since I’m currently out of commission?”

 

“Yeah, Jaehwan, what are you doing here?” Seongwoo didn’t think he’d hear the familiar deep voice so soon. Jaehwan and Seongwoo looked to the doorway where the origin of the voice leaned on the side with his arms crossed and a leg propped against on the wall.

 

"I just woke up from blood loss because Jaehwan was so loud. Also, my ribs hurt like a bitch" Seongwoo said with a straight face while Jaehwan suddenly laughed, “I thought I could get some morphine from here but then you caught me red-handed,” Jaehwan said but he hardly seemed believable to the perceptive underboss.  

 

“Mhm,” Daniel slowly said as he took a step to approach the two with his arms still crossed in front of his chest. “Unfortunately for you, we only have hydromorphone here. Although it has morphine in it, it isn’t exactly the same,” He explained as he examined the newly replaced bag and the last one thrown in the bin.

 

“Oh really? Well, you’re the expert so who am I to go against that.” Jaehwan shrugged as with an awkward laugh as he kept a distance from Daniel.

 

“Did you change the bag?” Daniel asked, eyes not leaving the still full bag of hydromorphone.

 

“Y-Yeah, he looked uncomfortable with his forehead scrunched and everything I thought he might’ve felt pain,” Jaehwan hastily tried to justify himself.

 

“Pretty considerate of you,” The underboss said with a smile as he turned back to the younger of the two capos.

 

“Well uh… thanks?”

 

“Except,” Daniel continued as he detached the bag from the stand. “His dosage for today was already administered. Yet you just had to re-attach another one. You know what that means?”

 

“... No,” Seongwoo could almost hear Jaehwan try and swallow down the lump in his throat. “It means you risked getting him addicted to it you fucking idiot,” His voice low and threatening could practically send shivers down his spine. “Now, don’t you have work to do?”

 

Jaehwan was speechless out of intimidation and just bowed before he walked out of the room leaving the two with nothing but the sound of the ceiling fan filled the room.

 

A few minutes passed and Daniel finally turned back to the capo on the bed. Though Seongwoo could barely move with the tired feeling that overcame his entire being and the pain inflicted by his wound would radiate if he dares to try. Looks like he was going to be stuck here for a while.

 

“You should’ve stopped him,” Daniel said and Seongwoo looked confused.

 

“... What?”

 

“Right, of course, you wouldn’t know about it yet…” The underboss mumbled with a scratch to the back of his head, “You’re lucky the bullet didn’t hit anything major, it just lodged on to your side so only the appendix got hit but that’s a useless piece of shit in your body anyway. You can live without that,”

 

“Wh―”

 

“You’ve been out for almost three days now, can’t blame you since you lost way too much blood back there. Lucky for you, we had a bit of blood bags to spare for you.” Even when Seongwoo opened his mouth, Daniel didn’t let him continue.

 

“The doctor advised on dosing you with hydromorphone or morphine, we had more of Dilaudid to spare anyway. Now that you’re awake, we’ll be administering you the extended-release tablets instead so you can monitor when you should be taking the painkillers. The dosage schedule is just there beside you anyway and I strongly advise you to follow it or you’d risk getting addicted to this stuff. Don’t add any more problems and stick to the schedule.”

 

“... Are you done?” Seongwoo said to break the silence that followed while Daniel leaned onto the wall across the bed.

 

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were worried,” Daniel said in between his walk and stopped by the side of the bed. “Did you actually care about me that time? Are we in some sort of push and pull dynamic now?” The underboss teased with that usual grin and tone that made him look younger than he actually was. It kind of reminded Seongwoo of the Cheshire cat with how annoyed it made him feel.

 

“The fuck are you on about now?” The elder male mumbled as he slowly moved his arms to his front to get the numb feeling away from his limbs. “Are you so used to the concept of taking away lives and hurting others that you forgot you could do the opposite?”

 

For some reason, Daniel looked like he was caught off guard judging by how he tensed at the statement. Seongwoo shrugged it off.

 

When Seongwoo felt the pain subside into a dull ache, he thought he should at least test the waters. The raven planted his hands on the mattress and carefully pushed himself up groaning in the process. The pain on his side was no joke, he felt like he was being stabbed by a thousand needles and it greatly hindered his movements.

 

“Oh fuck, this is worst than I thought it would be…” The blanket that covered his body ended up falling off in the process exposing his torso. As expected, his torso was heavily bandaged at the abdomen where the sparks of pain came from. It took a while before he finally got to sit up not without a thin layer of sweat that hinted at the difficulty he went through to rest his back against the wall.

 

“Why…”

 

“Hm?” Seongwoo looked to his right and noticed the rather strange expression on his face. Was it confusion? Irritation? He wasn’t really sure.

 

“What do you mean why?” Now Seongwoo looked equally confused, why did Daniel clench his fists like that.

 

“Why did you do it?” Seongwoo blinked in confusion, a silent sign to continue, “Why did you do it? Why did you save me from that one bullet if you knew it was going to be this hard? You said you never got shot, so why risk yourself for someone else? I don’t get it!”

 

“Maybe because you often kill and not protect,” Seongwoo cuts him off and for once, Daniel is the one rendered speechless. “Most of the time, you fight to kill while me and the rest fight to protect, a complete opposite from what you do,” He finished while he scanned his body now marred with small cuts and bruises probably from all the rolling they did in the forest.

 

“Then who are you all protecting?” Seongwoo wasn’t so sure if Daniel was kidding but he genuinely looked confused and Seongwoo couldn’t help but scoff. “Ourselves, each other, but most importantly you,”

 

“Me?”

 

“You’re the boss aren’t you?” He stated as if it were a fact as he traced the bandage on his abdomen. “It’s like a kingdom protecting its king, you fall and we lose. Simple as that,” Seongwoo said as he diverted his attention back to the thick white bandage. For now, it felt normal but he was sure it was going to hurt like a bitch when the painkillers wear off.

 

For a moment, Seongwoo almost forgot Daniel was even there as he slowly tried to asses the damage on his body. Well, with whatever movement his wound allowed him to anyway and it obviously wasn’t much. There was obviously the bullet wound on his abdomen, several scratches and bruises littered his arms, and a small cut by his temple. Only then does he start to feel heavy when the exhaustion and pain finally sink in so he groaned and leaned back on the pillow.

 

“You should rest,” Daniel said after a few minutes of silence when he finally pushed himself off the wall. “I’ll have Jaehwan take care of the weapon dealings while you’re down. For the meantime, you better focus on resting so I can have someone decent to talk to and actually understand me,”

 

“Don’t miss me too much while I’m gone,” He sarcastically replied.

 

“Then heal yourself faster,” The underboss said before he left.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

There were more casualties and one major incident.

 

More bandages stained with red, patches of skin littered with bruises, scratches from rocks and branches, stolen ammo, handicapped men, droplets of blood. All contained red. 

 

Red here, red there, red staining his brothers and a bit of it that stained his clothes.

 

Different shades and splotches of that one color and Taehyun has grown sick of it. The mere sight of it was enough to make him lose his shit. Even when the wounds were cleaned and the droplets wiped off their floors, Taehyun could still see it.

 

The color red that flashed mockingly before his eyes. He couldn’t help but throw his glass against the nearest wall. Luckily no one was within the vicinity when the glass shattered into tiny little pieces. 

 

“Hyung, calm the fuck down!” A voice beside him said but the man couldn’t acknowledge it. Not when the body of one of his closest brothers laid on the bed with an oxygen mask as his lifeline. It was a stray bullet, one that pierced his body enough to affect one of the major organs. What was meant to be a threat backfired and now he faced the consequences.

 

Taedong was down, and he had no assurance if he was even going to make it. 

 

“Calm down?” It made him feel sick to know he had a hand in this. 

 

But no, it wasn’t entirely him. It was his fault. It was Kang Daniel’s fault. From their small escapade within their remote area to the shootout in that forest clearing, it was all his. 

 

“How the fuck do you expect me to calm down when Taedong could die?!” He couldn’t help but yell. He was frustrated and angered by events that transpired in the past week it was starting to take a toll on his mental state. It never got this bad. They always looked out for each other after all and no one has always been close to being at death’s door. Yet, here they were hoping and praying that one of their most important brothers would pull through all because of a stray bullet that might have ricocheted off of a tree. 

 

“Get a grip, you have to let him rest while you have some other stuff to attend to,” Donghan said as he tugged on the elder man’s wrist with a grimace. Even he didn’t want to stay in there any longer, he just wanted to leave. 

 

“Are you telling me to just let this go? As if nothing ever happened? As if some big guy and his bitch didn’t just shoot down some of our brothers and walked away free?!” Taehyun couldn’t help but raise his voice. 

 

“I refuse to let him think this was okay! He’s going to pay for this―!”

 

“That’s what already got us here in the first place!” Donghan interrupted him. “Sounds like the bullshit you spat out the last time and look where it got us! How much more are you going to risk until you’re fucking satisfied?!” 

 

“Until I get that bastard to know what it’s like to feel this that he’d die out of devastation!” 

 

“You’re out of your mind!” Donghan continued to protests but the other didn’t look affected at all. 

 

“I mean what I said and you know it,” The way Taehyun said those words were one filled with determination mixed with a semblance of redemption towards his own wrongdoings. The younger man could feel it. The flames of anger burning in his gaze, the tension in his body, the sheer strength of how he clenched his fist, and the ominous aura that radiated from his small body.

 

The man wasn’t playing around, that’s for sure. 

 

“If you don’t agree then call the others and stay put as a part of your play safe agenda.” He spat as he went into their usual discussion room.  Donghan ran a hand through his hair out of frustration. The man was obviously angry, but he didn’t think it would be a good idea to mess with this group again. 

 

Though at this point, it became a battle of pride. They lost twice now, first with the raid and another to the face-off. Trivial as it may seem, the black market has always been about reputation to be able to sell what they had. It was merely the business scene in an underground setting after all.

 

Personally, he didn’t want to engage in any more violence with the other group but Taehyun clearly had other plans. On one hand, Donghan just wanted the option with the least number of casualties but he didn’t want to sacrifice the group’s reputation in the process. 

 

Taehyun has been the ‘leader’ figure for years. If he insists on doing whatever he planned to do then maybe he has the best interest at heart. He would never put his family in danger after all. If that were the case, then shouldn’t he give him a little more credit for making it this far? 

 

He probably should… 

 

With one long sigh, Donghan walked away and gathered their core members into the said room where Taehyun was seated at the front looking distracted.

 

Hyunbin was the first to arrive, giving Taehyun the usual bear hug before he sat down. Taehyun, albeit small, would always return the gesture. They practically raised the large boy along with Donghan when they found them trying to steal food in an alley. But despite being the older brother, Donghan was the more protective one while Hyunbin was the crybaby.

 

That was one of the difficulties they encountered when they first took them in a few years back. Hyunbin trusted people easily and quickly adapted to 787 but Donghan remained stubborn and abrasive towards everyone who wasn’t Hyunbin. That was before he caught Kenta’s attention.

 

The said man came in next dressed in his usual pullover and beanie followed by Donghan himself and seated across Hyunbin who was animatedly talking about something he did earlier in the day. 

 

While Hyunbin practically befriended everyone in their small group, Donghan only acknowledged Kenta and Hyunbin. It took a while (and plenty of invasion of space) to finally get Donghan to warm up to him but in the end, Kenta became the person to help him adjust with the rest. Kenta was their tech specialist and had several connections with Japan, therefore, making technology accessible to them in more ways than one. 

 

Sanggyun and Yongguk were the last people he warmed up to, they were just a bit strange to him at first but he eventually got used to it in the end. They were also the last to arrive in the room, Sanggyun arrived a few minutes before Yongguk did. 

 

Decked out in his usual dress shirt with a few buttons unbuttoned on top, Sanggyun sat beside Hyunbin. It wasn’t obvious from what he looked, but Sanggyun had a small film studio of his own. Not the usual movies for the general audience. He and his crew filmed porn and sold some of their films for revenue. It also contributed to a huge part of their money though.

 

Last to arrive was Jin Longguo or Kim Yongguk. Clad in his normal all black ensemble of hoodies, sweatpants, and sneakers. If he stood in a dark corner then no one might even notice him at all. Then again, stealth was a part of his role anyway. Yongguk was more of their ‘spy’ at best. If they needed some sort of recon, they’d send him alone or maybe have one accompany him. He’d rather do his role alone though.

 

Then there was Noh Taehyun.

 

A leader who was more of their older brother figure. Despite all the hardships they’ve been through as street children, Taehyun managed to bring the positivity and motivation needed to get where they were now: helping other abandoned kids to live on their own and watch over each other. That was how their group, or rather, the family came to be. 

 

But now, he was burning with anger. The flames of wrath blazing within his eyes so fiercely he almost seemed different. 

 

“We need to pay them back,” He simply said. For a moment, the others hesitate while Donghan remained silent. He’s voiced out his opinions towards this idea already and he still thinks it’s stupid.

 

“But hyung, what are we going to do? Too many of our brothers are injured I don’t think we’ll be able to fight like this” Hyunbin asked with an anxious tone to it. Taehyun merely smirked.

 

“Who said anything about fighting?” Everyone looked equally confused. Revenge without the need to fight sounded strange but they let him explain further. “We just want him to experience the same kind of pain we did, nothing is more painful than emotional pain,” 

 

“So how are we going to do that? Are you suggesting we take something from them?” Sanggyun asked in a disinterested manner yet it seemed to pique Taehyun’s interest. “That… that could actually work,” He mused to himself as he stood up and paced around the room.

 

“Isn’t that what we tried to do when we ambushed the drug delivery?” Donghan continued, “It didn’t seem to go as planned when we first talked about it,”

 

“We had to face them that time. Didn’t I tell you it was a greeting?” He arched his eyebrow before he continued to pace back and forth, “But don’t worry, we won’t need to face them this time around.”

 

“Sounds like foul play if you ask me~” Kenta chuckled as he leaned back on the couch.

 

“So what do you have in mind?” The half Japanese sounded rather excited but Taehyun wasn’t so sure either. “We’ll need to get something equally important from them, something that could make him… break,” But amidst all the talking, a frustrated sigh made Taehyun stop in his tracks.

 

“Don’t you think this is getting petty?” Donghan starts with a frustrated tone, “Why do we keep running into them for trouble?”

 

“I am not letting them shoot and trample on my family and be left alone thinking they did nothing wrong, it sounds infuriating just thinking about it!” Taehyun cuts him off. 

 

“Then what do you suggest we do? Steal more drugs? Take over a warehouse? What? How could those things possibly affect him?!” By the end of his ramble, Donghan was close to fuming yet Taehyun didn’t look scared. If anything, he looked rather excited of one point Donghan said.

 

Items won’t have much of an effect on him, not towards a man like Daniel. 

 

Something clicks there, “Oh, maybe I’m thinking about this the wrong way,” 

 

In this case, thinking about this from a materialistic perspective won’t cut it. They’ve been thinking about this the wrong way. If they asked Taehyun what the most important thing to him was, he would answer ‘family’ in an instant.

 

_ Family. _

 

There was no guarantee Kang still even had one, but that wasn’t the point. The point is they don’t need to take ‘something’ away, they need to take away ‘someone’ and Taehyun just knew who.

 

Even though the rival underboss didn’t seem to have anybody he considered family, Daniel seemed to look at Seongwoo in a different light.

 

Taehyun concluded.  _ We don’t need to take something, we’ll take someone. _

 

“Hyung, what do you mean?” Hyunbin couldn’t catch on so quick, looks like he ended up saying that out loud.

 

“The capo.” The smaller man added, “Didn’t you see the way he looked at that guy? He looked like he was ready to kill if you dare pull anything. Isn’t that suspicious enough?” 

 

“What if we’re wrong?” Yongguk spoke for the first time that night.

 

“Then maybe we can make use of him too. We had huge losses this month, didn’t we?” Taehyun said with a bit of excitement bubbling in his steps. “I’m sure you’ll love him,” He said to Sanggyun who seemed nonchalant about the entire plan.

 

“We’ll lay low for a while,” Taehyun said as he went back to pacing the room now with a bit of bounce in his steps. “Lay low until most of our brothers get to heal from their injuries and then we’ll make a move. But for now…” He trailed off as he stopped in front of their little ‘spy’.

 

“Reconnaissance, need I tell you more?” Taehyun said with that knowing tone, Yongguk merely smirked in reply. 

 

“I heard ya, boss, I’ll be sure to do my best.”

 

“You never did disappoint,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S BEEN SO LONG WE'RE SO SORRY BUT HEY IT'S HERE NOW, RIGHT? ; - ;  
> We've both been doing plenty of stuff in preparation for college and stuff (especially Ash, she has a lot on her plate right now)  
> Well, we aren't sure when the next update is going to be but hopefully it wouldn't be as long as another two weeks.
> 
> 'Til the next chapter~


	12. Recovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Foul language

Another ordinary day in Seongwoo’s bedridden phase...

 

“You know it’s weird, really,” Jaehwan started as he approached the IV stand to change the bag, this time he made sure it was at the right time. “Lately, I picked up on those two fighters, the Parks,”

 

… or rather, another day of suffering under the name of ‘Kim Jaehwan and his daily observations’.

 

“Caught them making out once, wasn’t a pretty sight by the way,” He added as he placed a tablet of the hydromorphone on his bedside table. Just incase he no longer needed the IV drips, “Probably means they’ve fucked too, don’t you think?” Ever since the doctors (and Daniel) wouldn’t let him step foot off the bed, Jaehwan took it upon himself to visit whenever he can and entertain him.

 

And by entertain, that meant sharing his thoughts and updating him on whatever it is that’s been happening in their little mafia family.

 

“I mean, with your hormones raging on like that, what are the odds they haven’t gone past making out―”

 

“This is your update for the day? Please kill me now, that was way beyond TMI,” Seongwoo groaned as he was forced to put his phone aside because of the younger male. The older capo leaned on a small tower of pillows to support his back instead of having to lay on the bed all day.

 

“Fair point, then moving on to our next headline―”  Another sigh.

 

“Have you ever noticed that the Guanlin kid barely talks? He’s been with Kang the whole time you were gone, probably like a secretary now since he also does errands for him while you aren’t around. Yet he still does his job in the drugs department as if it isn’t a big thing,” The younger capo rambled on as he handed him a clipboard with tables and lists, a summary of what went down in the past few weeks.

 

Even if he was out of commission, he refused to be out of the job.

 

“There’s that Bae kid too, remember the guy he brought in for tech?”

 

“You mean the gloomy looking kid who has hardly said ten sentences in the time he’s been introduced?”

 

“Yeah, him. I saw him going out alone once. Good for him, I thought he needed a bit more sunlight for his age,” Jaehwan mused out loud.

 

“Oh, and here’s a sample of what the guys brought in the other day. Is this what you were looking for?” The young capo pulled out a rather large gun and handed it to the raven. With the last encounter with 787, he thought they might have needed to add more to their arsenal. Maybe this would help the shooters take down enemy faster.

 

The gun was an Enfield assault rifle, one that was all too familiar to any military man with its sleek wooden body and quick firing action. Seongwoo glided his fingers over the cool surface and checked the firearm itself. He inspected the condition, weight, and capacity of the magazine. If they were going to set this as a default then he should at least make sure it was good enough.

 

“Yeah, this is the one. Tell them to get more of it. The sooner the better,” He simply said as he tossed it back to the younger expert.

 

“What about the newbies? Should we get something lighter for them?” Jaehwan suggested, “The new ones looked like they were still struggling with their aim. Probably not used to the recoil yet so their aim goes off,”

 

“Did you have one in mind? One thing an inexperienced shooter could have over a veteran would be speed so maybe one with a faster rate of fire,” Seongwoo mused out loud but Jaehwan scoffed, “Of course I came prepared, I am your reliable assistance aren’t I?” He proudly declared with his chest puffed out and chin held high as he raised another rifle. One that weighed much lighter than the first.

 

“An M16 assault rifle?” Seongwoo arched a brow as he looked through the said weapon.

 

“It’s lighter and faster with a ‘friendlier’ recoil. If they find it hard to aim then maybe we can attach red dot sights or whatever scope fits their style. Should be easier to handle even for a noob, don’t you think?” Now with a satisfied grin on his lips, Jaehwan stood with his arms crossed as Seongwoo examined the gun in his hand. It never failed to surprise him no matter how 'idiotic' Jaehwan could be, there was always that good and reliable side of him that served as a reminder of why he deserved his title.

 

Jaehwan did have a point though, the M16 was much lighter compared to the Enfield even if it was loaded. As for the firing rate, Seongwoo didn’t think much about it when he raised the gun and fired one burst of three shots towards the wall. Although the recoil wasn’t much as Jaehwan said, the force was still enough to cause a spark of pain to ignite on his side.

 

“Kh..!” Seongwoo bit his lip as his hand clasped onto his side while Jaehwan immediately hopped over and snatched the gun away. “Aish, did you really have to do that?” The younger capo said as he looked to make sure the wound didn’t bleed. If Jaehwan had his own cool side, then Seongwoo had his own idiotic one too.

 

“We all know you’ve been resting and all that but the fuck dude you’re not in any condition to be shooting again,” Yet the older man merely rolled his eyes and smacked Jaehwan’s hand away. “I was just testing what you said,” One thing Jaehwan has been overly familiar with: the stubbornness of the elder capo. Although it can be a good trait, sometimes (just like now) it just serves as a big burden and sometimes a good source of frustration.

 

“For once, you should listen to Jaehwan,” Came another voice and the two firearm capos nearly jumped out of their skin.

 

“Fuck you, and when will you stop doing that?! Seriously! I would probably die of something else at this rate!” The raven hissed, but the underboss just shrugged him off with a chuckle.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

A month and a half passed since Seongwoo’s injury, yet everyone remained persistent in keeping him out of action. He could barely step out of bed before someone comes and forces him back on the bed. At this point, he might just forget how to walk. Though the painkillers he constantly takes was enough to subdue the pain into a slight ache hence his attempts at moving more than an inch on the bed.

 

There were days when no side effects would kick in. Unfortunately for him, today wasn’t one of those peaceful uneventful days where he just sat and drowned in his thoughts. Everything felt too hot, Seongwoo felt like his body was burning as he clenched at the sheets. His breathing had gone ragged at this point. Honestly, he felt like shit and kept his eyes shut instead of seeing the room constantly spinning in circles.

 

Hydromorphone had several side effects such as dizziness, nausea, itchiness, profuse sweating, and flushing. Much to his dismay, three or four of the said side effects decided to visit him all at once in the form of flushed cheeks and a raging headache. It was never this harsh, today just doesn’t seem to be his day and he couldn’t wait for it to subside. The bed was now a mess with the blanket barely holding on, half of it already hanging off of the bed while Seongwoo laid on his back eyes closed and his arm over his eyes to lessen the light.

 

“A fever?” Someone said but he couldn’t reply, or rather he just didn’t bother to. Even when a hand gently touched his forehead, he didn’t bother to move. This position felt much more comfortable anyway.

 

“Just side effects then…” Seongwoo heard him again much closer from his side but the headache barely lets him process who it could possibly be. Though he should probably thank whoever that was when a damp cloth was suddenly pressed against his cheek. The raven flinched at the sudden cold touch against his heated skin but he eased onto the hand with a satisfied sigh.

 

The hand continued to rub his cheek alternating left and right and sometimes on his neck to ease the heat stored in his face but the headache remained persistent. He barely registered the bed dipping on his side, the person probably sat beside him to accommodate him better.

 

It took a while before the flush finally subdued into a dull tint but Seongwoo didn’t budge from his position. He still felt like he was being pounded with a sledgehammer and his head would probably split into two.

 

Luckily, the man must have been familiar with remedying side effects. After he discarded the cloth to the side, the stranger adjusted his position. It wasn’t long before Seongwoo felt hands that held him by the side of his head. Before he could even object, the man pressed his thumbs against his temples and circled the area to soothe the headache. Again, the raven couldn’t help but sigh and relax into the gesture as the tension in his body gradually left him.

 

Seongwoo doesn’t remember when he succumbed to exhaustion but the next thing he knew, he opened his eyes and he felt a little more refreshed compared to his messed up state. It should have been a great feeling to feel normal again. The sun still pouring in from the window mid-afternoon, his head now in the right state of mind, and his body feeling numb from the desired effects of hydromorphone.

 

“What the fuck?” Yet, the first thing he noticed when he woke up was the huge weight by his side with a familiar mop of silver hair. So he did the very first thing that came to his head at that very moment.

 

He kicked him off the bed.

 

“Ow! The hell?!” Daniel jolted awake when his ass hit the floor while Seongwoo merely looked down at him all smug and accomplished.

 

“Creep,”

 

“The fuck did I ever do to you?” The underboss huffed as he stood up dusting himself off in the process.

 

“Maybe because you suddenly slept beside me? Like the fuck, don’t you have your own bedroom in your office?”

 

“It’s lonely there,”

 

“Don’t care, go find an escort or something,”

 

“But I like your company better,”

 

“And I don’t, now get out. Don’t you have some work to do?” Seongwoo spat at the amused underboss. “Ooh, feisty one aren’t you? Alright alright! I’ll be on my way geez,” Daniel raised his hands when Seongwoo was about to throw a pillow towards him.

 

“If you had another side effect to deal with then call me!” Daniel called out when he was already out of the room. That was when Seongwoo finally pieced two and two together and for a moment, he didn’t know what to feel about that.

 

For one, he felt a little annoyed to let Daniel see him all vulnerable and weak. Yet, he couldn’t deny the man helped him a lot through all the discomfort he felt in the past hour after he took his dose of painkillers.

 

Should he just thank him for it?

 

… Then again, he would most definitely use this against him in some way and he probably won’t let him live this one down.

 

“Fuck,”

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

After months of waiting and laying on a bed only to wait again, the doctor (and Daniel albeit reluctant) finally let him get off the bed and try to walk around. Though he has to admit, the first time was a bit of a struggle. It was almost like he was walking for the first time with how much his legs were shaking after being in bed for so long.

 

For the first few days, Jaehwan was his support and helped him walk around their base. As soon as they said he could walk, he insisted on getting back on the job at once. Who was Jaehwan to say no to that? Although it was kind of difficult since the older capo was slightly taller and heavier than he was.

 

Although he was up and about, he still needed to take his pills every once in a while to ease his pain. He could move much more than before but the wound was still there and it isn’t completely closed off just yet.

 

“You shouldn’t move around so much,” Came the all too familiar voice and silhouette of Geumhwansang Pa’s underboss in Busan.

 

“The pills are enough, it doesn’t hurt as much,” He simply replied as he took in his dose for the day while Daniel just stood there watching as he swallowed it down.

 

“Don’t you have other things to take care off?”

 

“Yeah, I do,” He casually replied though he doesn’t look like he’ll be leaving any time soon. “Then hop to it, the hell are you standing around here for? You just said you have to some stuff to attend to”

 

“I’m already doing it~” The younger man playfully replied with that usual grin.

 

“No, you aren’t. You’re just standing there staring at me as if you’re waiting for me to double over and fall on the floor,”

 

“Maybe I am?”

 

“What the hell, Kang? Fuck off,” Seongwoo emphasized with a push but Daniel, being the much larger and stronger guy, barely moved an inch from his spot.

 

“I wouldn’t be doing my job then!”

 

“No, you’d be doing the group and especially me a favor so get back to… whatever you were doing,” But no matter how much he kept pushing Daniel away, the man remained rooted on the spot with that annoying grin he has whenever he intended to tease.

 

“Not when you’re the one I’m supposed to be taking care of,”At that moment, Seongwoo froze on the spot. Daniel merely chuckled and felt amused at those widened eyes.

 

“Oh no, you don’t. As much as I don’t like having you around, having you hovering over me like some sort of mother hen would be worse,” He spat as he walked past the tall male.

 

“Where are you going anyway?”

 

_And he still has the nerve to speak all playful as if his very presence isn’t annoying enough._

 

“Jaehwan and I are going out for a deal, nothing big. Just the usual exchange―”

 

“Woah there princess, going out already? It’s barely been a week since they allowed you to stand and you’re already leaving?” Daniel said as he blocked his way out by the doorway. “It’s called going back to work, it’s not like I’m not coming back now get out of the way,” Although he sidestepped to pass through, Daniel does the same and continued to block his path.

 

“At least bring your pistols with you, you’re not exactly anywhere near being ‘in good shape’ with how you move like that,” Though he was immediately silenced when a Cz75 was pointed towards his face.

 

“I am more than aware, thanks. Who the hell do you think I am? A damsel in distress?”

 

“And if I said yes?” The latter retorted with a smirk.  

 

_Ugh, when will he stop?_

 

“Whatever, out of the way” Seongwoo finally pushed him away and went towards the front where Jaehwan and the rest probably were. He said he was just going to take his dose for today, after all, they might be waiting for him by now.

 

But when he passed through a window, the first thing he saw wasn’t Jaehwan and the rest but a lanky teenager who walked away towards god knows where. It was that tech specialist for sure. Probably what Jaehwan meant when he was ‘finally getting more sunlight’.

 

 _What business could a tech specialist possibly outside?_ He thought. In the end, he shrugged it off and went out to the front where Jaehwan and the rest were waiting for him.

 

“Took you long enough,”

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

“Any updates from Seongwoo?” Sungwoon came into Jisung and Minhyun’s office room in a sneaky way as to avoid any attention. Only several of the higher-ups and their colleagues knew about the undercover operation. The risk of moles lurking within the metropolitan police was one they couldn’t risk, everything had to be kept private.

 

“Nothing,” Jisung sighed as he leaned back in his chair.

 

“It’s been a month! Almost two, actually. He’s taking way too long to respond. The other officers have been asking for updates ever since he told us they fucked but of course I didn’t tell them that. They might think of it as suspicious,” The smallest officer finished with an exasperated sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

 

“We can’t call or text him, it would be too risky,” Minhyun coolly replied hoping to end the conversation sooner. But even he couldn’t hide the fact he was concerned.

 

“What if he got into trouble? How would we know when he doesn’t contact us?” Jisung worriedly mused, fingers tapping onto the table in an unsteady and nervous rhythm.

 

“Taking initiative in communicating would be too risky, for all we know they already caught on to him. They might already be hovering over him waiting for him to make a mistake to oust him to that underboss he told us about,” The redhead scratched his head out of frustration.

 

“There’s nothing we can do about it… We’ll just have to hope he’s okay and he’s just being the forgetful idiot he is,” The tallest officer said albeit uncertain and unsure. “Maybe we should give him more credit, he’s been at it for almost three years. It’s not like he’s an amateur at this. I’m sure he knows what he’s doing,”

 

At least, that’s what he hoped was the case.

 

“We got the updates on crime rates~!” Came a bubbly voice from the young orange-haired tech specialist. A youthful prodigy by the name Lee Daehwi. Even for his seemingly out of place age and personality for this kind of job, his skills and knowledge towards technology make up for his inexperience.

 

“I also got the ones on the previous months in case you needed it for comparison, gotta say it’s really… different,” He finished as he handed Jisung the said papers.

 

“Well, it’s just as Daehwi said. There’s been a decrease in the crime rates lately especially when it came to possible mafia activity. Do you think that could be one reason?” Jisung asked as he saw the newly released statistics for the month.

 

“How does something even become ‘suspicious of possible mafia activity’ when they also do the same crimes as any other criminal?” Daehwi asked. He was just new to their department after all.

 

“When they’re well planned down to the last detail,  large mafia groups like those would know better than to leave even the smallest trail. Without any evidence to warrant an arrest against them even though we are a hundred percent sure it’s them, they’re hard to take down. It could be an illegal arrest,” Minhyun answered in a rather tense way with his arms crossed as he looked through the said statistics.

 

“They escaped too many times already but we’re certain most of the underground activity starts from them. We got close to arresting them once,” Sungwoon clenched his fist at the memory. Although the younger boy noticed, Daehwi couldn’t help but ask.

 

“So why didn’t you?”

 

“They got rid of the evidence before we could use it as proof for a warrant of arrest,” Jisung sighed as he continued to look through the papers. “Somehow they managed to hack into the system at the last minute and got rid of everything including the copies. That’s why we had to do major upgrades to our database and the reason why you’re here. We needed the best people we could possibly find to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

 

“That’s why we resorted to conducting an undercover mission,”  Sungwoon continued, “Our efforts in taking them down weren’t enough so we thought we needed someone to infiltrate and relay whatever intel they could get. If we gathered enough evidence and information, then having to arrest them should be easier since our spy could also serve as a witness to the arrest,”

 

“The spy, it was Seongwoo hyung. Wasn’t it? So how did you end up choosing him?” The three paused and looked at each other looking equally hesitant. “Let’s just say he had all the drive and motive to do so,” Minhyun slowly said, that was when Daehwi thought it might’ve been something they couldn’t tell themselves.

 

“Ah, I see...” The young tech specialist mused.  

 

“Well, for now, let’s just put all our hope on Seongwoo, okay? It’s almost been three years, we should give him some credit. No one else would have pulled this off better than him,” Jisung said as an attempt to clear the gloomy atmosphere that hovered over their heads.

 

“Right…” Daehwi mumbled as he glanced at the clock. “Then I’ll be on my way now! My work hours just ended, bye!” The bubbly boy waved before he took his stuff and left.

 

“He’s a really energetic kid, that Daehwi,” Sungwoon mused out of the blue though Jisung couldn’t help but chuckle, “Maybe you’re just getting old, Sungwoon ah,”

 

“Hey! As if you’re any younger!” He said and as usual, they become immersed in their trivial banter. Something Minhyun has been all too familiar with he didn’t even bother stopping them anymore and instead diverted his gaze to the window by his side.

 

But even the view had something… a little more interesting.

 

“Looks like Daehwi was in a rush to not keep his friend from waiting,” Minhyun said instantly attracting the attention of the two bickering officers. “Where?!” Jisung was the first to get up and practically dive towards the window.

 

“That somber-looking kid? Daehwi must have that much energy enough for the both of them,” Sungwoon snorted which resulted into a hit from Jisung himself.

 

“Don’t judge him by his looks! Maybe there’s more than meets the eye! Let the poor kid be!”

 

“You just called him poor,”

 

“That’s not the point!”

 

As usual, Minhyun merely shrugged them both off. Sometimes he felt like he was the most mature person in this office.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

“It’s been months now, Yongguk sure is taking his time. Isn’t he?” Kenta hummed in the middle of their lazy day.

 

“It’s his job, give him a little credit,” The gang was just lazing around, nothing special needed to be done but they didn’t mind. Days like this were usually spent bonding with their fellow brothers anyway.

 

“Who knows, maybe there’s something he wanted to confirm. It’s a big group, after all, maybe the biggest he had to do recon on,” Taehyun mused while he leaned on Sanggyun’s shoulder yet the other man was more preoccupied with his phone.

 

“It’s more fun when he gets something more than we bargained for,” Hyunbin added.

 

The rest of the crew did whatever they felt like doing. Some decided to hang out and maybe have a drink or two somewhere else. Others decided to stay in the headquarters and do whatever they could to feel productive.

 

“Something more, huh?” Donghan absentmindedly said while trying to shrug off Kenta’s insistent poking claiming the poker face was the only expression he probably had.

 

( _“Stop that, what are you doing?”_

_“Your face is boring, is it frozen or something?”)_

 

“Yeah like, what if he was actually someone else?! Now that would be a total plot twist,” Hyunbin added, “Or maybe blackmail material? That sounds equally threatening,”

 

Taehyun chuckled. Hyunbin wasn’t too far from his age but his thoughts always seemed interesting to him due to his imagination so he couldn’t help but want to hear about it. “If it was something like that then I’ll be damned, we’d struck gold with something that great. We might not need an intricate plan with something like that on our side,”

 

“Yongguk hyung is taking longer than usual this time around,” Donghan said with Kenta who pouted beside him and whined about repeating what he said. “Shouldn’t he be back by now? He did say he just needed to confirm something,”

 

“Relax, he’s probably wrapping up by now,” Taehyun said as he pushed himself off the couch to stretch his arms. Just in time for one of their fellow brothers to peek into the common room.

 

“Hyung! Yongguk just came back!”

 

“Oh, would you look at that. I must be a seer,” Taehyun joked just as Yongguk came into the room with a manila envelope in his hands. “You sure took your time, didn’t you?” He teased as the younger member dropped the envelope on the table.

 

“For once, it was actually worth it,” He said as he pushed the envelope towards Taehyun. “I found something… much more valuable than his frequent whereabouts,” He hinted and it had Taehyun raising an eyebrow as he took the envelope into his hands.

 

“Wow, did I actually guess it right?” Hyunbin said with plenty of excitement as he bounced over to the small leader. “So was my hunch right? Is it perfect for blackmail? How about my plot twist?”

 

“Hyunbin, you’re going to end up crushing me,” Taehyun chuckled while the younger member quickly apologized.

 

Taehyun took out the contents and flipped through the stack of papers and scanned through the information Yongguk gathered, expecting to find something that would give them leverage over their rival gang. Personal background, past gang activity with Geumhwansang Pa, a few candid shots and several that were obviously taken before their encounter.

 

“Seriously, how are you even getting your hands on these?” Sanggyun said and looked incredulous towards the load of information Yongguk managed to get his hands on. “Even his personal background, it’s as if you got a hold of his birth certificate or something,”

 

“I found something better than his birth certificate though,” Yongguk coolly replied as he got himself a glass of water across the room. “You should skip to the last page, that’s all the dirt we need,”

 

“The last page―” When Taehyun flipped over to where Yongguk pointed out, it was filled with more pictures attached at the top but the information was not something he foresaw as a possibility. In the end, he broke out into laughter. One he couldn’t hold back as he clutched onto his stomach, eyes teared up with the overwhelming piece of information.

 

“Fuck, my intuition was actually correct!” The tallest out of all of them said in a rather excited manner as he was once again bouncing on the spot. “Hyung this is amazing!” He said as he engulfed Yongguk into a bear hug almost spilling his water in the process.

 

“As always, hyung is indeed the best,” Donghan voiced out as he read through the new found information.

 

“God this is actually going to break him, this is going to ruin Kang. I can’t wait to see how this goes in the end!” Taehyun added as he finally calmed down from his fit of laughs.

 

“Now then, don’t we have a plan to formulate?” The eldest said as his laughs finally subsided into a mischievous smirk.

 

“Should we push with the plan the moment we finish it along with preparations?” Kenta excitedly asked.

 

“Patience, I’m sure we’ll find the right moment to strike,” Taehyun said as he brushed his finger on the clipped photo at the upper right of the paper. Amidst all the private information they gathered, this was it. This was something that guaranteed their demise and Taehyun couldn’t wait to see how it unfolds.

 

 

“We’ll let you have your sweet time…” Taehyun mused as he unclipped the photo.

 

 

“Officer Ong Seongwoo,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "It woN'T tAkE tWo WeEkS"
> 
> ... Sorry about that. Though technically it wasn't two weeks ??? ^^'  
> Hopefully, this was worth the wait. Because honestly, I felt like I half-assed this one so uhh we're sorry in advance. ;-;  
> Okay so there's no guaranteed we can fulfill this promise but we'll try to upload earlier. Atleast we didn't reach 2 weeks right? ^^' 
> 
> 'Til the next update~


	13. Gone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Foul language, Violence

_ ( “It’s about time we pay him a visit, don’t you think? _

 

_ “Why wait when we can go now?” _

 

_ “I can handle him by myself,” _

 

_ “If it’s you, Longguo, then what more can I say?”) _

  
  
  


It’s been quite a while since Seongwoo went out on a deal. The first time he did was when they finally allowed him to walk around, Jaehwan let him tag along but he made him wait with the rest outside.

 

It’s been a week since the younger capo allowed him to, one would think he could freely move about now with how much his condition improved. Yet, here he was still standing on the rooftop of the three-story building waiting for Jaehwan and the others to finish.

 

“He’s taking too long…” The raven said to himself.

 

His condition improved at an extraordinary rate compared to how they first patched him up but the wound was still there and that was something he couldn’t just ignore. Maybe he did have a faster recovery rate but that wasn’t enough to warrant a go signal to do whatever he wished. Not like he could even if he tried.

 

He knew he had a handicap, he knew he had his limits, he knew he could be their weakness if anything went wrong, yet he couldn’t help it. Maybe he was just a workaholic?

 

… No, it was more than that.

 

It that feeling. You know, when you know your capabilities but certain circumstances prohibit you to do so? He hated it, he hated feeling weak. He hated how bare and vulnerable it made him feel even though he was fully capable of doing more for them and himself.

 

Just like how he was just standing outside of the building even though he was fully capable of talking and striking a deal. This really sucked. Instead, he decided to pass time by lighting one of the many cigarettes he had in his pocket. That was until his ringtone went off and say a despicable name flash on the screen.

 

“What do you want?”

 

“Aw don’t be like that, can’t I even check up on you?” The underboss replied though Seongwoo could practically hear his cheekiness behind all the static. Good thing the wind was an effective distraction.

 

“You just did, like an hour ago. Are you going to be some nagging grandpa now?”

 

“Wow don’t insult the higher ups now princess, you know there’s a need to check up on you every once in a while, right?”

 

_ No, it makes me feel weak having you hovering over me.  _ Seongwoo thought, but he doesn’t let it slip through his lips.

 

“I get some time off from you, I’d rather make the most out of it,”

 

“Oh c’mon princess, I know you’d rather have me by your side~”

 

“In your dreams,” The raven retaliated a little faster than intended. At this point, Daniel would feel amused anyway. The boy likes to rile him up until he reached the limit of his patience and Seongwoo hasn’t always been the patient type either.

 

“Don’t you have something better to do?” The capo said in hope of putting an end to the call but Daniel has his ways and continued to blabber in the background. In the end, he didn’t bother listening and focused on the nicotine stick at hand.

 

Seongwoo doesn’t know why he even bothered to keep the call going, maybe he was just that bored? God, if boredom resulted in Kang Daniel’s companionship then he should really find ways to keep himself busy again. Just the thought was enough to make him sigh and look towards the street where several cars and people passed.

 

But there was one person that stood out.

 

“Oh would you look at that, Jaehwan and the rest just finished. Bye,” Seongwoo hung up without waiting for a reply and pocketed his phone. Though it wasn’t Jaehwan who caught his attention, it was a younger boy whom he recognized as the genius.

 

Bae Jinyoung.

 

What was he doing outside? Well, it’s not like it’s bad. He was just curious what could possibly lure out a depressing looking kid out of the house. It’s not every day you see the boy smiling actually looking like his age for once. But it wasn’t just the smile on his face, it was the cause of the said expression: a smaller kid with bright orange hair with a bounce in every step.

 

He’s never seen that kid before. A friend maybe? At least they were reassured the kid even had friends. Come to think of it, how does he even interact? Seongwoo barely heard a handful of words from that boy yet here he is looking all happy like a normal kid. Well, it wouldn’t be too bad to indulge in his curiosity for once. He made sure to tell Jaehwan at least.

  
  


**To: Jaehwan**

Off for a walk, call me when you’re done.

  
  


Seongwoo doesn’t bother to wait for a reply before he’s off down the stairs and out into the open. The capo nodded as a greeting to the rest before he went on his way to where he last saw them. For a moment, he thought about what he was doing. But his mind flashed back to the last hour he spent waiting around the rooftop and he thought moving around would be much better than to stay put. Maybe he could improve his movement if he got used to the constant ache in his side.

 

The raven took his time adjusting to a normal pace that hid his pain. He probably spent the last ten minutes walking around to find the odd pair. Though it didn’t take him long to spot the vibrant orange hair, a true eye-catcher among the crowd.

 

“This feels like  stalking…” He mumbled as he watched the two boys from afar but then he is once again reminded that this was better than standing like a post anyway. The grapefruit (as Seongwoo chose to call him) was much more animated and probably did most of the talking with all the gestures he’s been doing ever since he first saw him. Jinyoung has barely said a word since but the smile along his lips was one thing he could hardly miss.

 

“Now that’s something you don’t see every day,” Seongwoo thought and decided to follow from a considerable distance, his interest somehow peaked with the tiniest curve on the boy's lips.

 

Jinyoung, usually silent and guarded, was actually talking. Seongwoo wasn’t too sure if he was more amazed at his apparent ability to converse or to smile, both were equally rare. If he took a photo now and showed it to Jaehwan, the guy might just accuse him of ‘amazing photoshop editing skills’.

 

Seongwoo eventually lost track of time but it didn’t really bother him. He was much more interested in… whatever this was anyway. The two eventually settled down by the park where the grapefruit brought out his laptop. Apparently, they were both into tech. The other just so happens to be livelier than Jinyoung ever was. Guess opposites do attract.

 

The raven capo eventually settled behind the nearby tree. He felt tired from all the walking he’s done after not being able to for the past months. Luckily for him, the park was peaceful enough to hear their conversation.

 

“...nks for the help earlier, got most of the bugs out and now it works perfectly!” Grapefruit, with the visible bubbly personality, said as he showed what Seongwoo assumed was a self-made program.

 

“I haven’t done anything yet though?” Even if the boy barely spoke, Seongwoo was at least familiar with his tone enough to know that was Jinyoung talking. “It’s my first time seeing this,”

 

“You helped me the other day though? I troubleshoot the algorithms and went through the commands to patch up the mismatched codes you pointed out,”

 

“I really didn’t―”Jinyoung continued to protest but the kid ignored it in the end.

 

“You discredit yourself too much, you really did good! Trust me,” Before Jinyoung could get another protest out, grapefruit diverts his attention to another part of his program.

 

“A humble genius, that’s one good thing to know about I guess,” Seongwoo sighed as he leaned back and took out another cigarette, looks like he was going to be here for a while. The capo took a long inhale of the stick and slowly puffed it out, his body going lax as the smoke left his body.

 

The first bits were pretty interesting. Seongwoo had never seen the child look so happy after all but nothing interesting took place. The two boys, being experts in their field, ended up talking about whatever grapefruit had been working on with plenty of jargon that was incomprehensible to someone who knew little of what they said.

 

“Guess it was only worth it at first,” Seongwoo sighed as he carefully got up with the help of the tree. It’s probably about time he went back he thought as he started to walk back after putting out the cigarette.

 

“Jaehwan is taking his time today,” The Raven mused as he saw no unread message or missed call. It doesn’t usually take him this long, or maybe he was just being impatient. He wasn’t always too fond of staying too long in one place. The fact he managed to pull off this operation for at least three years was already a miracle on its own.

 

Though he hasn’t been shot in the past three years either. Guess this year was filled with much more than he has encountered in the past. A boss who doesn’t know personal space was new, the raid was also a first, and now there’s a bullet wound to the list. It’s barely been six months, what else could possibly happen? Seongwoo already felt exhausted at the thought.

 

“Excuse me,” Seongwoo tensed only to come face to face with a smiling man. The guy was probably a foreigner judging by the awkward Korean underneath that accent. He was rather tall, probably a few centimeters shorter than he was. He had brown tousled hair and wore a flamboyant array of colors it almost looked… eccentric.

 

“Can I help you?” He replied, the man looked rather ecstatic and brought out what looked like a map, “ I needed help with directions, do you mind?” Again with that smile but Seongwoo chose to bear with it at least for now. It took a while before Seongwoo finally got the stranger to understand where he wanted to go and a little more to tell him where it was on the map because seriously, who still uses a map these days?

 

After grueling minutes of map analysis and directions, the stranger nodded indicating he finally understood the given directions. Seongwoo just wanted to leave as soon as he could.

 

“I should get going,”

 

“Shall I accompany you on the way?”  When he looked back up, he was met with a gentle smile. Yet, there was something about him that just seemed… off at the moment.

 

“No, I’m fine. Thanks,” Seongwoo said with a smile hopefully enough to look sincere before he turned away without another word.

 

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

 

_ “Going to plan B,” He mumbled to his in-ear as he pulled up his hood and wore a mask to cover the lower half of his face. _

 

_ “Gladly, I was going to be really disappointed if he ended up falling for that one. That was way too cliche even for you” _

 

_ “As if you can do better, now update the others. I don’t have time for this,”  _

 

_ “Wait, what’s plan B again?” _

 

_ “By force,” _

  
  


~ .oOo. ~

 

 

On the way back, Seongwoo decided to take his time. Jaehwan has yet to call so there was no need to rush. He could already see a bit of the building from afar anyway. With all the practicing he’s done, he’s been able to mask his limp well.

 

Seongwoo decided to distract himself with his phone. Suddenly, he was reminded of Minhyun and the rest. When was the last time he contacted them? Jisung, being the caring senior he was, might be panicking with the lack of communication. If he can move around freely without anyone hovering over him like an overprotective mom, then he’ll call them.

 

But amidst his thoughts, an unsettling feeling suddenly gripped at his heart that caused his steps to stutter.

 

A gut feeling? Seongwoo wasn’t completely sure but it wasn’t something he could ignore. Although he was very curious, it was too risky to look back especially if the street wasn’t too crowded. On the lighter side of things, this might just be him being paranoid over a petty pickpocket. He was armed anyway, the usual Cz75 in his leg holster. If anything, he’d have the upper hand and escape scratch free.

 

The raven pretended to be oblivious.

 

Seongwoo turned towards the shopping district.

 

The feeling doesn’t go away and his sweat started to grow cold.

 

Only one way to confirm his suspicions. Fortunately, up ahead were rows of various stores with large window displays. If he was discreet enough then maybe he could at least have an idea what the guy looked like.

 

The capo casually strolled by the side and looked into the glass panes pretending to be interested. Tall mannequins, stylish clothing, shoes made of authentic leather and ― there. A tall lanky looking guy dressed in all black browsing through his phone. It was quick, but he could swear he saw him glance. The guy was way too suspicious.

 

Was he just unnecessarily paranoid?

 

No, something didn’t feel right.

 

_ He  _ didn’t feel right.

 

He had no choice but to carry on. Seongwoo knew it wouldn’t be right to show fear. So he carried on, trying not to hasten his steps despite the quickening pace of his heart. More shops ahead, more glass panes to look through. If he can’t look back then he could at least use the panes to his advantage. Hopefully, it’s just him being paranoid.

 

Seongwoo continued to stroll through the stores checking if he was still there every once in a while. Much to his dismay, he still is at a considerate distance. Maybe he’s coincidentally going through the same route? It was a risky move, but there’s only one way to find out.

 

He took a turn to an emptier part of the district.

 

More shops, more glass panels, fewer people. It was the street filled with high-end brands. Not too many people pass by here unless they actually want to buy something. Again, he stuck close to the stores with large window displays.

 

Mannequins in blouses, suits, dresses, shoes, ― a man in black.

 

_ He’s still there. _

 

At that moment, fear gripped at his chest. That was all the confirmation he needed. His breathing grew frantic as he clenched his fist, he couldn’t let fear take over. Not when he was at an obvious disadvantage. Although equipped with a gun, he can only do so much with the injury at his side. He was nothing close to being combat ready.

 

Seongwoo took another glance.

 

The man was a foot closer.

 

He needed to get back to the rest fast. In an effort to ditch the guy, Seongwoo crossed the street and turned to go back where he came from.

 

_ So does he. _

 

The capo held in his nerves. Even as he glanced at the glass and saw him move another foot closer, he keeps it in. Though it was hard it seemed like every shop he passed by was another foot closer.

 

Another foot.

 

Closer.

 

_ Closer. _

 

He was directly behind him, so close he could almost hear the sound of asphalt against the sole of his shoes he couldn’t help but turn around―

 

But there was no one there.

 

“Can’t be―Mh!” Seongwoo’s vision blurred and came face to face with a brick wall within a narrow alleyway. He instantly felt his throat constrict and his breathing stop, but it was because of an arm hooked around his neck while another hand held his jaw.

 

Seongwoo frantically clawed at the arms and tried to wriggle himself free but the man’s grip was strong. As an act of desperation, he did the first thing that came to mind: kick his leg from behind.

 

Lucky for him, the man was caught off guard when Seongwoo managed to tip his balance causing his grip to loosen even the slightest bit. Seongwoo gasped to make up for the lack of oxygen and didn’t waste a second to grab the man by his arm and throw him over his head.

 

Seongwoo stood back up and ran as fast as he could. There was no other thing in his mind but to escape, if they faced each other in combat then he didn’t stand a chance. Not when he could barely shoot without flinching at the recoil of his own shots.

 

The raven managed to reach the crowded district not once looking back if the man managed to catch sight of him. All he thought about was getting away as he ran into the crowd to blend in with the rest.

 

When the crowd grew larger in size, Seongwoo decided it was finally safe to slow down. He lost him, he should have. But what was that? Was it a mere pickpocket like he thought? A petty thief? The man wasn’t dead set on killing him at least.

 

Seongwoo continued to navigate (push) through the crowd. He needed to get back to Jaehwan and the rest to be sure he was safe. Even when he was greeted with curse words and annoyed faces, he didn’t dare look back or apologize.

 

All he thought of was safety.

 

_ Go where they are _

 

_ The apartment complex _

 

_ Jaehwan _ ―

 

“It’s not that easy,” Seongwoo’s blood ran cold.

 

As much as he didn’t want to, he couldn’t help but look back and was faced by a man he was all too familiar with. The man in black himself.

 

He didn’t have the time to think. It made him feel more frantic as he pushed his way through the crowd. The building wasn’t too far away, neither were the footsteps that were close behind him.

 

When he finally reached the end of the crowd, he ran with the quickest pace he could handle. He already did much more than what his body could handle, he couldn’t risk doing more. Lucky for him, the crowd grew disoriented with the chase that occurred right at its center. With all the people meddling in the incident, the crowd was less forgiving as they unintentionally compressed into each other.

 

Seongwoo turned to the nearest alleyway, one similar to the last with a large dumpster in the middle. He practically dove behind it to hide from the stranger, he didn’t have the time to be picky. Not if it was for the sake of survival. He needed to contact Jaehwan. This was no longer a measly thief, it was an attempted assault.

 

The capo took out his phone in the fastest way he can with his trembling hands. Though it proved to be a difficult task on his own with how violent the tremors were. Seongwoo took in deep breaths in hopes of calming down his frantic heart. The man was nowhere to be seen but it didn’t mean he should let his guard down as well.

 

“Fuck, c’mon…” Seongwoo cursed at his shaky fingers. He could barely operate his phone if his thumbs can’t even touch the icons properly. There was a small moment of rejoicing when he finally got the message app up but the trembling has yet to cease. He just knew he had to type.

 

_ Quickly. Quickly. Quickly― _

 

“Damn it!” Once again, the capo goes frozen on the spot and stuck his phone to his chest. He couldn’t let the brightness give away his position.

 

“I lost him,” The stranger said, Seongwoo instinctively clamped his hand over his mouth. His breathing has yet to calm down and he couldn’t risk being discovered.

 

“Kenta’s monitoring the CCTV cameras, he said hasn’t gone back so he shouldn’t be far either” The man must be talking through an in-ear device, but who are they? Is he the ‘him’ they were after?

 

“No, I’ll find him. I doubt Kang would find him first,” The man scoffed as he paced back and forth in the small alley. Whoever they were, they obviously had something against that meathead Kang. Does that mean they’re using him as a weakness then?

 

… He felt kind of offended. What the fuck. What do they take him for?

 

“I haven’t failed you before, this time isn’t going to be different,” Somehow those words were enough to send a chill down his spine. How can it not when he was the supposed receiving end of that threat. He needed to get out of here quick. Jaehwan and the rest aren’t so far away if he could just wait for the man to go away then he could _ ― _

 

_ Ring! _

 

_ What cursed timing  _ he thought as he glanced at Jaehwan’s name flashing on the screen quickly denying the call. Before he could even recover, the man was beside him in a flash and reached out for him. But Seongwoo was quick as he rolled forward and got up on his feet. Unfortunately for him, his phone flew out of his hand in the process of saving himself.

 

“Looks like it’s my lucky day! Thanks for making this so much easier!” The man smiled as Seongwoo finally got a clear view of the man’s face.

 

It was the foreigner with the same unsettling smile.

 

“Must say, you’re parents taught you well not to come with strangers,” The man laughed, Seongwoo tried to scan his surroundings. “You aren’t exactly attracting either. Who uses maps these days anyway? Have you been living under a rock?”

 

“Hm, cheeky AND feisty, I love you already” The man laughed, “I bet Sanggyun will like you too! You should meet him!” Was the last thing he said before he lunged towards Seongwoo. The raven sidestepped to his right following with an ax kick in hopes of grounding him. But the man was also quick and regained his footing before Seongwoo could even bring his foot down.

 

Both of them were equally fast delivering and countering each fury of punches and kicks that could render them with handicaps. As if Seongwoo didn’t have a handicap from the start. Their movements were relentless, their limbs swishing past one another in a heated battle of speed and reaction time. But little did Seongwoo know he’s been showing his weakness from the start.

 

“You’re awfully guarded on your middle, aren’t you?” The man chuckled as they broke away, both panting as they tried to catch their breaths.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, isn’t that basic?” Seongwoo scoffed. Though he did scowl internally, his body has yet to get used to the everyday things. What more could he do in combat? Only adrenaline was keeping him up but he wasn’t so sure how much longer can he keep himself running. He can’t stay up any longer, he’s going to have to end this soon if he wants to get back in one piece.

 

“I’ll just have to see that for myself. Besides…” Seongwoo could almost see him grin under that mask as the man cracked his knuckles, “... I was just getting warmed up,” Without another word, the man once again lunged towards him. But he didn’t look tired at all, he was still going at the same speed.

 

This time, Seongwoo focused on being defensive. He couldn’t risk worsening his current state. Not when the man looked like he finally found his weak point when most of his attacks were aimed towards his torso. The capo visibly struggled, his wound was already burning after all the running and fighting he’s done. He wouldn’t be surprised if it reopened at this point.

 

Seongwoo didn’t have a choice, if he wanted to finish it now then he had to take him down the fastest way possible.

 

At gunpoint.

 

When the man attempted to throw another punch, Seongwoo grabbed his arm and pulled him towards his side. The gesture was enough to catch the man off guard and caused him to stumble forward. Seongwoo took it as an opening. The capo stepped behind him and kicked him forward before he pulled out the cocked gun from his holster. The man was on the floor, back facing the raven, and a clear shot to get his aim _ ― _

 

_ Bang! _

 

Only for the bullet to end up embedded into the brick wall.

 

The man was unfortunately also fast enough to kick his arm thwarting his aim from even grazing its target. The guy took advantage of the shock and pushed him until his back hit the wall keeping his aim off of his direction.

 

“That’s not fair at all you little cheat,” He started as he tossed the gun away from his reach. “All better, now you should just stay put!” He emphasized with a swift punch to his gut enough to make him yelp and double over in pain until he slid down onto the asphalt.

 

The pain was unbearable.

 

Not only did he exert his body beyond its current limits, but the blow directly onto the wound made his knees buckle as he held onto his side in hopes to get the pain to subside. Everything felt like he was burning. His adrenaline finally died down and the pain comes back and hits him at full force.  

 

The wound felt like a thousand needles digging into his skin, his lungs were on fire from all the running and fighting, and his entire body felt like lead when he could barely lift a finger. Exhaustion and fatigue finally ran him over like a truck until he couldn’t do anything but groan and writhe in pain.

 

“Must say, you put up quite a fight back there,” The brunette started as he knelt down to his eyes level. Even when Seongwoo spat at his face, the man merely chuckled at the last attempt of bravery before he grabbed the raven’s jaw in his hand.

 

“Goodnight, little raven,” The man mockingly sang before he slammed Seongwoo’s head back into the wall and kept his grip tight ‘til Seongwoo’s vision blurred from the lack of oxygen in his system.

 

Seongwoo doesn’t remember if he fought back, if those were his hands clawing on the man’s own over his mouth, or if his body did struggle in a desperate search for air.

 

The last thing he remembered was the man with a grin on his face and the familiar apartment complex that stood from afar before his vision faded to black.

 

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

 

“He wouldn’t answer,” Jaehwan said as he led the others away from the building. Seongwoo did text him to call if they were done, didn’t he?

 

When Jaehwan finally called back to inform him of the events that transcribed in the exchange, it didn’t take two seconds for the call to be cut off. As if Seongwoo hung up the moment it rang.

 

At first, Jaehwan thought it might’ve been a mistake so he redialed the number and waited for the ringing from the other end. Only to be greeted by an automated voice stating the user might have turned off their phone or was out of reach. Maybe the network went down?

 

Third time’s the charm he thought to himself. Same automated voice, same message.

 

He tried and tried, but the call never connected.

 

It took Jaehwan almost six tries to figure out that something wasn’t right, Seongwoo would usually answer him no matter how persistent and annoying he was. Jaehwan didn’t waste any more time and told the others to hurry and pack out since they needed to do something first before they head back to Geumhwansang Pa.

 

Seongwoo wouldn’t have strayed that far. The guy was as athletic as a rock towards anything other than combat. In his current state, he wouldn’t even last half a mile. As Jaehwan and the others roam around the perimeter, the younger capo kept calling the older capo’s phone. Maybe he just fell asleep somewhere and decided to ignore his phone altogether. After almost half an hour of wandering aimlessly through the area, the group finally went closer towards the shopping district nearby.

 

That was when he finally heard it, the monotone yet familiar ringtone echoing through a back alley. Seongwoo hasn’t always been a people person, after all, maybe he just wanted to take a break from a large number of people around them.

 

“Hyung where have you been we _ ― _ ”

 

Nobody was there.

 

No one but a familiar smartphone that laid in the asphalt ringing with his name flashing on the now cracked screen. Jaehwan rushed over to the phone and picked it up, it was indeed his hyung’s but where was the man himself?

 

“Seongwoo hyung?” He called out as he walked through the alley with the others right behind him. The men spread out on their own looking for whatever they could.

 

“Boss, over here!” One of the men called out and Jaehwan rushed over to what they found. A Cz75 abandoned on the floor no too far from where the smartphone was. When Jaehwan looked around, that was when he saw it. A bullet embedded into the wall right across where they found the gun. The same bullet Seongwoo uses for his personal Cz75.

 

“Kang is going to lose it,” Jaehwan said with a sigh.

 

“We need to head back, now,”

 

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

 

Daniel had his own meeting and exchange to deal with that day just when Jaehwan and Seongwoo went out for their own. Being an expert in his own field, it didn’t take long before they finally finished their business and started loading the trucks with their own acquisitions to bring home.

 

“Should I contact Jaehwan? They said the location today was going to be a bit farther than usual, I should ask him how the princess is doing,” He mused to himself as he whipped out his phone from his pocket.

 

“Or… maybe I should just call him directly? That would piss him off wouldn’t it?” His finger hovered between two numbers belonging to Jaehwan and Seongwoo respectively. Should he go for Jaehwan or Seongwoo? Pissing him off always sounded better though. Maybe he should just dial Seongwoo after all.

 

Before his thumb could tap on Seongwoo’s name, Jaehwan’s number flashed onto the screen along with his personal ringtone. “Huh, Jaehwan it is I guess,” He sighed hinting at the disappointment before he accepted the call.

 

“Is Seongwoo with you? I was just about to call him before you face greeted me instead,” Daniel started without a hello. “I’ll have you know you were at least blessed to see a face such as myself, Kang. You’re seriously missing out”

 

“I highly doubt that,” The underboss snorted at the typical response from Jaehwan but that’s not what he was looking for at this instance. “So where’s Seongwoo? He didn’t push it too hard, did he? The painkillers should be enough to last for hours until he gets back with you and the rest but he better not move too much. The guy doesn’t know his limits _ ―” _

 

“He’s not, Kang,” Jaehwan cuts him off before he could finish.

 

“He’s not? You mean he didn’t move that much and just stayed in place? Wow, I find that hard to believe. Not after how he kept telling me off he’ll be fine and I shouldn’t be hovering over him like some ‘mother hen’. Can you believe it? I do not hover, it’s called looking out for my pri― comrades. I meant my comrades. So is he doing okay or not? I’d love to shove it in his face if he even whines at the slightest bit _ ―” _

 

“Daniel, he’s not coming back!” Jaehwan finally raised his voice from the other end while Daniel is left dumbfounded at the outburst. It’s not every day you hear the loudmouthed Kim Jaehwan go off like a bomb, it just wasn’t a part of his nature despite his expertise.

 

“What do you mean he’s not coming back?” Daniel became hesitant, grip unconsciously tightening around his phone but not enough to let it crack under the pressure.

 

“He’s gone, Kang” Jaehwan sighed while Daniel froze at the news.

 

“We found his phone with a cracked screen and his personal gun abandoned nearby the building, someone took him. I’m not sure who,”

 

_ He’s gone. _

 

Daniel had never felt more scared because of a mere two words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol sorry this one took forever but I don't think you like what transpired here either so please don't look for me? ^^"  
> I shall now go into hiding bye


	14. Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Foul language, Violence, Sexual Content, Nonconsensual  
> **Paragraphs with triggers (Noncon) will have underlined markers**

The ride back to the base was anything but pleasant. Usually, Daniel’s routine after every trade would vary depending on the outcome. There were times when the underboss would relax, legs crossed as he sipped on a can of beer or a glass of champagne because of a deal that went better than intended.

 

Sometimes he would lean back unconsciously chewing on his bottom lip out of frustration when he did a mediocre job. He knew he could do better. On rare occasions, he’d be rubbing his temples with his fingers to subdue a headache from the stubborn clients who insist they were right.

 

But today wasn’t any of those days, today was an entirely new situation after all. It didn’t have anything to do with the drug business, it was something much more personal. Not just to him, but to the entirety of Geumhwansang Pa. Not only did they lose a comrade, but they would lose one of their best men and that wasn’t something he was going to put aside. For now, it was his number one priority.

 

The entire duration of the ride consists of him shifting about in the back seat, foot rapidly tapping on the floor as a sign of impatience. Has the traffic always been this bad? One thing he didn’t like about drivers was how he couldn’t control the speed of the car. Then again, if he were the one on the wheel, then he’d risk receiving a mere speeding ticket for the sake of getting back as fast as he could.

 

When Daniel finally did arrive at the base, everyone stopped dead in their tracks. The current situation was bad enough, how else would he possibly react?

 

“How can he be gone?” Surprisingly enough, his voice sounded calm but the deadly gaze on his eyes was enough to show a semblance of being rational and serene.

 

“I was in the middle of an exchange! I told him to stay out of it and wait outside like you told me to in the past exchanges.” Jaehwan, equally frustrated, tried to explain but a conversation between tense men was bound to go downhill the moment it started.

 

“Then what the fuck went wrong?!” The underboss unknowingly raised his voice but Jaehwan didn’t flinch.

 

“I already told you I wasn’t with him. He just sent a text that he would go for a walk and that’s it! It’s not the first time he did it, I didn’t think anything would go wrong.” The capo was just as baffled, it’s not like he was present when Seongwoo was abducted. That is if that was indeed the case.

 

“Why the fuck would you let him roam free? Hell, with that injury anything could’ve happened to him and yet we got the worst case scenario. It would’ve been more forgivable if he ended up tripping over the pavement!” Daniel lets out an exasperated sigh.

 

“He wanted a breather! It’s not like I could just let him stand there for hours because you didn’t want him more than an inch away from his bed. He’s been doing fine, he can even move. You didn’t have to keep him caged the whole time.”

 

“And yet here we are, now aren’t we?” The silver-haired man scoffed, “If you also convinced him to stay then maybe none of this would have happened in the first place!” There are times when Jaehwan becomes daring when it came to his same-aged friend, today was one of those days when he dared to stare into those murderous looking eyes.

 

“What’s going on?” In the middle of their exchange came their two fighters, the Parks, into the room. Apparently, their argument was enough to cause a commotion among their comrades.

 

“Seongwoo’s gone,” Daniel says without breaking eye contact, “And we’re going to find him,” He continued while he made his way to his quarters.

 

“Do you have a plan?” Jihoon asked as he, Jaehwan, and Woojin trailed behind him, “If it’s a rescue operation then we’re going to need everything planned down to the last details. Protocols would be necessary too in case anything went wrong” Woojin continued.

 

With his long strides and straightened back, one would think he’s had a plan all along. Probably in a rush to execute everything he envisioned his head. That was the usual scenario. That was how things should have been, but it seems things aren’t always what they seem.

 

“I don’t,” Daniel hesitantly said it has the two fighters gaping in shock.

 

“Wh ― Then what are we going to do?” Jihoon shot back, “Do you at least have a hint on who we could be dealing with?” He continued to ask but Daniel remained silent, “How are we going to save him if you don’t even have a clue who they could be? Do you at least have suspects?”

 

“We only have his phone and gun as evidence, we can’t do much with just that. It’s not like we have fingerprint scanners like the police,” Jaehwan supplied, Daniel unconsciously clenched his fist.

 

“Then we don’t have any leads at all?” Woojin said but Jaehwan could only shake his head with remorse. “We can only tell he was abducted, nothing else,”

 

“What the fuck? Then how are we supposed to save his sorry ass?” Jihoon sighed.

 

“I don’t know, but we have to,” The underboss replied while he went through the stuff on his desk. He tried to think of a plan, anything to get a rescue plan out there but his mind couldn’t seem to focus and it just frustrated him more than anything.

 

“Wait what the ― Are you packing?” Jaehwan asked when he saw Daniel move back and forth within his room picking up pistols and ammo Seongwoo handed to him the other day.

 

“We need to sort this out first, he doesn’t even know where to start,” Jaehwan continued but Daniel decided to tune him out. “Doesn’t matter, we need to save him now before they do anything,” The underboss growled but the three continue to question him.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“Do you even know where to start?”

 

“Why do you need to find him within the day? We need to be rational about this and think it through―”

 

“I DON’T FUCKIN’ KNOW,” Daniel bellowed as his fist slammed down on his desk instantly silencing the other occupants. “Just get the fuck out, out!”  He yelled as he chucked the gun in his hand to shoo them away.

 

Daniel let out a shaky breath, he was now alone. Alone and vulnerable to the treacherous scenarios his imagination chose to feed him. When he dropped to the sofa, face hidden in his hands, that was when he began to notice how much it was taking a toll on him.

 

Shaky hands.

 

Heavy breathing.

 

Churning stomach.

 

Irritation.

 

Agitation.

 

Worry.

 

**_Fear_.**

 

Everything was simultaneously coming at him, he couldn’t keep up. As if all his senses were blocked and muffled to prevent himself from retreating to a proper state of mind. But one thing did stick in his muddled brain, Jihoon’s voice kept echoing no matter how hard he tried to block it out.

 

_ Why do you need to find him within the day? _

 

“Why? Of course, I need to find him!” Daniel scoffed. It was as plain as day, did he need to spell it out? “Because―” His mind suddenly went blank.

 

… Why did he want him back? Why did he even feel this way? He hasn’t felt this since he lost  _ them.  _ But that was years ago, almost a decade at best. He thought he lost all of those meaningless emotions. Why feel fear when he’s filled with so much power at the top?

 

The last time he gave in to fear, his entire world shattered before his very eyes. Everything and everyone he ever loved was gone in the blink of an eye. He swore to himself to never let the roots of fear plant itself in his heart, never again. He hasn’t felt it since then.

 

He didn’t think he’d get to meet an old friend like fear, yet here he is shaking like an abandoned puppy because of the disappearance of his raven. He couldn’t help but scoff.

 

Pathetic.

 

Daniel took a deep breath, the shaking slightly subdued as he clenched his fist. His nails digging into his own flesh and formed familiar crescents on his palms.

 

_ “You swore on it,” _ He mumbled to himself, “You swore fear wouldn’t get to you the second time,” The underboss continued with a shaky sigh, “This won’t be like them. This is going to be different,” He said as he stood up. The trembling in his hands barely visible as he laid his eyes on the broken phone on his desk.

 

“You’re going to be okay,” He mumbled as he took the phone in his hands, “At least, that’s what I’m hoping to happen,” Although fear kept its firm grip on his heart, Daniel felt more determined to overcome this ominous feeling that hovered over his head.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

Seongwoo felt disoriented. The pain was the first thing that registered in his mind when he finally gained consciousness after being down for God knows how long. Maybe he could have slept longer if it weren’t for the constant signals of pain sent to his brain.

 

Seongwoo fluttered his eyes open with a groan, obviously met by the sight of an unfamiliar room. Though it wasn’t like the movies where they wake up on a bed with only a dresser as another piece of furniture. Instead, it was more of a common room judging by the arrangement of sofas (including the one he woke up on) around a coffee table.  

 

The place was rather comely in comparison to their own quarters. White walls, black leather sofas, some pictures hanging off the walls, everything looked so normal it made it seem all the more suspicious.

 

He was abducted, right? Well, that was the last thing he remembers.

 

But right now, his everything felt so heavy. The back of his head throbbed from being smashed in, bruises now visible around his neck where the hand wrapped itself to cut off his airways. His entire body ached after all the sudden movements he shouldn’t have done and now he could barely lift a muscle. As if his nerves themselves were too tired to function.

 

But nothing could compare to the stabbing pain on his side, the familiar thousands of needles piercing into his skin as if it forced the wound to reopen. Though he wouldn’t be surprised if it did. He wasn’t a fool to think he’d come out of that fight unscathed.

 

Just as expected, his hands were bound behind his back but he realized his legs weren’t when he managed to move them freely. Still, his entire body was too exhausted to even sit up. He settled on his current position laid on the sofa on his side.

 

“Ah~ The prince has awakened!” Seongwoo froze. The voice was familiar, too familiar. He didn’t think he’d hear it ever since ―

 

“How’s Kang doing?”

 

Ever since Daniel kicked him out.

 

“S-Seo…” The raven mumbled, he felt like he ate sand because of how dry his mouth felt. The said man smiled, one with a more sinister feel that sends shivers down Seongwoo’s spine.

 

“Glad you still remembered me,” Seo scoffed as he bent down to Seongwoo’s eye level “To think you’d be his bitch. Didn’t think you were the type to sleep your way to the top,” The man cackled when the raven spat on his face.

 

“Guess he taught you how to be a little shit too,” The brunette shrugged him off, not before slapping him across his cheek. “You should remember where you are if you want to get out of here in one piece,” The man chuckled, “Well if you do manage to get out anyway,”

 

Seongwoo winced at the stinging sensation. Luckily, Seo wasn’t wearing a ring. The power behind that slap would have been enough to leave a long scratch across his cheek. It’s barely been a minute when the same hand is once again on his face caressing the reddened patch of skin with his thumb.

 

“If I were you, I’d tread carefully around unknown territory. Especially... with a face like yours,” Minsung emphasized when he held his chin to tilt his face up. Seongwoo has never felt so disgusted by a mere touch.

 

The capo held his tongue, Seo wasn’t worth his words right now. There were much more important things to focus on. Like how he could barely move an inch away from that disgusting hand. Or how to bash someone’s face in without the use of his hands,k useful too for this bastard.

 

Seo roughly lets him go (not without a mocking smile) and leaned back on the opposite sofa. “Somebody’s finally up!” He called out in a louder voice. The next thing he knew, the room was now filled with more familiar faces that he never wished to see. The man in black, Seo Minsung, Noh Taehyun, and the core members of 787. All in one room that caused a feeling of dread to hang over his head.

 

_ “Wah~ He really is pretty like you said he would be!” _

 

_ “Kenta, calm down,” _

 

_ “Ah, so this is what you meant when you said I might love him. He does have a unique face, they could love him too,” _

 

_ “The pictures didn’t give him much justice…” _

 

“Welcome to our home! Did you enjoy your sleep?” Taehyun greeted with a smile but Seongwoo was aware that it was anything but welcoming. “What do you want?” He replied, there was no use beating around the bush in this kind of situation.

 

“Straightforward. I like that,” Taehyun commented as he inhaled from the cancer stick in his hand. “Nothing special really, just a little something to get Kang all riled up. Now that would be a sight to behold,” He chuckled as he seated himself on the single sofa near Seongwoo’s head.

 

“But if you wanted a specific reason, we just wanted to take something of equal importance! Simple as that,”

 

“Bullshit,” Seongwoo retaliates, “Do you expect me to believe that?”

 

“Of course not,” The short man chuckled, “That was just the surface level of our reason,”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He managed to say, but the dry state of his throat didn’t make it easy. Taehyun seemed to understand anyway. “Kang has taken more than you think. To him, it was all drugs and fun. But to us? That was our largest source of income. Lucky for us, he didn’t take too much to hinder us from reaching our monthly quota or we would have to ration everything to make sure we don’t go over the monthly budget,” Taehyun continued.

 

“Well, we couldn’t risk losing much more than that so we had to make him aware of that. That is why we took something of that meant just as much to him as us,” He continued while he paced forward and back. “You know, it would’ve been hard to look for a weakness but Kang wasn’t so subtle either. He practically announced to the world what his weakness was when we first met face to face. And that weakness was you,”

 

“Sounds like a baseless assumption if you ask me,” The Raven cuts him off. “That was one incident, what makes you think that’s enough to back up whatever that assumption was?” The small mafia boss merely smiled, one with a hint of amusement and awe.

 

“I see those who work for justice as stupid hypocrites but I doubt they would include idiots into their ranks,” He continued and observed the raven who barely reacted to his statement.

 

“The fuck does that have to do with anything?” Seongwoo scoffed. Impressive. Even if he is the one at a disadvantage, he still has the gall to act like he’s on top. Taehyun laughed.

 

“Oh, it has everything to do with you!” He happily announced while he fished out his phone from his pocket. “I mean, this is you. Isn’t it?” The mafia boss asked as he turned the phone in his hand towards Seongwoo.

 

Whatever it was, Seongwoo didn’t think it would be anything important. Maybe some trivial thing from their past records or one of the times he spent with Kang taken from a window. Although creepy, he wouldn’t be surprised if they actually did have something similar. But he never thought they’d have anything dangerous.

 

The phone contained a picture of him in the middle of a crowd dressed in navy blue and black. Around him were people dressed in the same clothing and lined up into rows in front of the Korean National Police Academy. He could clearly remember that day, it was their inauguration into the police force after all. But why do they have this?

 

Taehyun smirked at the smallest flinch, it seemed they hit the jackpot with this one. “So it is you, how cute,” He cooed at the picture. It’s been years, after all, he looked a little younger in the photo. “But really, criminology? Isn’t this too much? You could’ve gotten a better paying job with those looks,” He said as he traced a finger along the raven’s jaw, the grimace that he gets after in response was worth it anyway.

 

“What did you really abduct me for?!” Seongwoo raised his voice, he was already in danger when they nabbed him from the streets but to know they knew who he was? That was the most dangerous of all.

 

“It’s simple, really,” Taehyun starts and gripped onto Seongwoo’s shirt collar to pull him up on his knees. “You just need to tell us what we want to know about Kang and the police and maybe we’ll let you go. Depending on how you cooperate, of course.” Despite being restrained, Seongwoo still dared to look him straight in the eye with every bit of resentment.

 

“Like you said, the police don’t hire idiots,” He shot back with a grin, “And Kang? He’s smarter than you think, I haven’t grasped everything either,” Seongwoo chuckled when the grip on his shirt tightened, “You wasted your time.”

 

In a split second, Seongwoo felt another wave of pain spread through his back. He was a little dizzy for a moment but when he finally came to, he found himself on the floor with the table overturned. Taehyun ended up throwing him to the table out of irritation, he obviously struck a nerve.

 

“Hey! Take it easy with the face!” Seongwoo heard from his side but he didn’t bother to look. Looking at one of them, the boss himself, was enough trouble as it is. “Really, Sanggyun?” A monotonous one piped up, “Viewers could love his face, you’ll never know” He didn’t bother catching up with the conversation, it was pointless anyway.

 

Taehyun clicked his tongue. He didn’t think it was going to be easy anyway but that makes things all the more fun and interesting for him. What does he have to do to get him to give in? Surely even he can’t last long no matter how strong he seemed.

 

“On the contrary, I was only getting started. But no matter how you look at it, aren’t you the one at a disadvantage right now? Restrained, weak, and now you’re so vulnerable on the floor,” He said and poked the man’s leg with his foot.

 

“I’m not the one kidnapping people to beg for information I could find on my own either, doesn’t put me in a better position than you thin-oh!” Seongwoo was cut off with a wince when a swift kick met his stomach. Despite the surge of pain, Seongwoo bit his lip and curled up into himself. He refused to make a sound. Not when it could give them a sense of control over his current state.

 

“Ah, so noisy. You really can’t read the situation can you?” Taehyun took another drag from his cigarette and nudged the capo’s leg with his foot. “I even asked you nicely but if you’re going to piss me off like this then I can’t hold myself back,”

 

“Let’s start over then, shall we?” The mafia boss squatted down and once again pulled him up by his collar. Not enough to sit up but enough to make him hover over the ground. “It’s a humble offer, you join us as an info broker and we’ll consider setting you free. Simple as that,”

 

Taehyun took another long drag, “So? What do you say? Do we have a deal or not?” Seongwoo didn’t say a word and instead, he kept his lips tightly shut. If he were to agree then it would obviously jeopardize his entire situation. And if he said no? Well, who knows what would happen. They would need him alive, at least he was sure they weren’t going to murder him. At this point, he’s probably just delaying whatever they could possibly do.

 

“You know, it’s considered rude to ignore someone who’s talking to you,” Seongwoo looked him in the eye but instead he kept his lips tight before he looked away. A blatant display of ignorance towards an obvious threat by blackmail. To give in so easily was the last thing he’d consider.

 

“Ah, so you’re giving me the cold shoulder now?” Again, Seongwoo remained silent. “Yah, this isn’t funny anymore, Ong. You’re really pushing it,” Taehyun pulled him closer and accidentally popped off one of his shirt buttons. That’s when the idea popped up his head and he couldn’t help but smirk. Surely, he won’t be able to stay still now can he?

 

“Aish, you’re really a hard nut to crack. That’s alright, we have all the time in the world. But you are in for a lot of fun,” He emphasized as he pushed the tip of the cigarette onto the protruding collarbone.

 

“Ah―!” Seongwoo threw his head back barely stopping the scream that slipped through his lips. The pain was excruciating, small embers of fire ripped through his skin leaving a nasty red burn in its wake. He couldn’t help but writhe in pain Taehyun had to straddle his lap to keep him down.

 

“Hey, why stop there?” Taehyun chuckled at the violent struggling and pressed the cigarette right beside the first, “Don’t be shy, you can scream all you want! It’s not like anyone could hear you from here,” He continued as he put out the cancer stick using the raven’s collarbone. Seongwoo continued to squirm, the pain lingered until the burning finally stopped.

 

Taehyun stood back up admiring his work from afar. Seongwoo became a trembling mess trying to hold in any noise from escaping his lips, the burns along his collarbone left a vibrant mark on his skin.

 

**~ .oOo. ~**

 

“Ohh, that’s gotta hurt,” Hyunbin commented when he leaned down to examine the burn, “That’s a little too much, isn’t it?”

 

“Any kind of noise I get out of his lips would be music right now, was done with that cigarette anyway,” Taehyun nonchalantly replied and sat back on the sofa. “Aish, now I’m a little pissed. You got another cigarette there?”

 

“I left it in my room,” Hyunbin supplied, “Ugh, fine I’ll get it on my own,” The small man called out while he walked out of the room. In the silence of the room, a scoff resounded from Seongwoo’s side. “Guess I’ll take it from here,” The raven hesitantly looked up at the looming silhouette and was met with the sight of a smirking Minsung.

 

“Taehyun hasn’t said anything,” Donghan said when Minsung squatted beside the trembling raven, “Fuck that, he’d get back to him sooner or later,”

 

“Minsung,” Donghan repeated with a warning tone.

 

“Consider it helping a brother and shit,” Minsung shrugged him off as he ran his hand through Seongwoo’s hair. “Isn’t that right, babe?” If only he wasn’t restrained then he would’ve beaten him up by now. But that wasn’t the case and he could only jerk his head away from the touch.

 

“Fuck off,” He retorted in a venomous manner, “Seriously, you’re acting all strong and feisty it’s annoying me,” Minsung mumbled as he unbuckled his belt.

 

“Hey he didn’t say―”

 

“Chill out, Sanggyun. He might’ve considered this anyway,” He shrugged him off and unzipped his pants.

 

“Maybe but he hasn’t―”

 

“I’m kind of interested to see this,”

 

“Kenta!”

 

“See? I’m not the only one interested here” Amidst it all, Seongwoo tried his best to back away from the impending danger. Unfortunately for him, he was already trapped in the middle. If he scooted away to his right then he’d hit the table, to his left would be the sofa. Maybe if could just find a way to slip away then―

 

“Where do you think you’re going?” Minsung mockingly said as he grabbed a fistful of his hair, “Here’s a fitting way to use your mouth, worthy for a bitch like you!”

 

And shoved his cock down his throat.

 

Seongwoo couldn’t pull away, not when Seo held him up with his hands on both sides of his head. The former drug capo was relentless with his thrusts not caring if it hit the back of his throat repeatedly choking and gagging the smaller man. Even when his visions started to blur when the tears gathered in his eyes, the thrusts don’t stop. If anything, it looked more like he was waiting for it to happen.

 

The raven did try to escape, he did everything his position could allow. Whether it’d be to squirm and twist away or to close his mouth to keep him out, Seo was already ahead. The older capo held him against the sofa effectively pinning him down and stuck his thumb in between his teeth to keep his mouth open.

 

Seongwoo doesn’t know how long it’s been, how long he had to endure the burning feeling in his throat, how long it took for the tears to finally roll down his cheeks, or how long it took until cum was forced down his throat. His mind just shut down, desperately clinging onto the last bit of consciousness he had left. Seongwoo was unceremoniously dropped on the floor in a coughing fit with cum and spit dribbling down his chin.

 

“You were too much,” Sanggyun said while he wiped the substances off of his chin. “Looks fine to me,” The man scoffed and zipped himself up, “He needed to learn his place, the sooner the better, right?”

 

“I don’t think this was the right way to do it,” Donghan added just in time for Taehyun to come back after his smoke break. “Fuck this, just tell them, will ya?” Minsung begrudgingly said towards their smaller boss.

 

“What?”

 

“Seo fucked him in the mouth,” Donghan supplied busy wiping Seongwoo’s chin, “Told him he went too far with it but the numbskull thinks he did good,”

 

“Because I fucking did,” Minsung cuts him off.

 

“It doesn’t matter what a shithead like you said, it matters if Hyung said it!” Donghan shot back, Seongwoo struggled to keep up. Exhaustion was already weighing him down ever since he came to and now he had more things to worry about.

 

He was just tired of everything, tired of whatever was transpiring in that small room as the two men exchanged words Seongwoo could no longer hear. Though one statement did stand out, one that came from the mafia boss himself.

 

“I don’t give a fuck what you do if he doesn’t talk. Do what you wish until he gives in to our offer,”

 

“Gladly,”

 

Seo was the last thing he heard before his mind finally blacked out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... We're sorry ; w ;  
>  I swear it gets better soon so sit tight ^^'


	15. Steadfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Foul language, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Nonconsensual

“You should really consider yourself lucky,” Noh Taehyun, the 787 leader, said as he crossed his arms in front of the raven capo. “If I didn’t think you’d make a great addition to our family then you wouldn’t be going through something like this,” Just as he said those words, another huge tub of water was doused onto his already shivering form.

 

The water repeatedly poured over his head were so heavy and cold he almost felt like he was drowning. “You’re awfully stubborn, how much longer are you going to keep your mouth shut?” The short mafia boss mused as he watched their captive hack up water that went into his mouth.

 

Seongwoo lost track of time ever since he woke up after his blackout on the first day. There was no telling what date or time it was after he was moved into a more secluded and dimly lit room. For all he knew, he could have been out for a few hours or maybe even a whole day. He had no way of knowing which of the two was it. The room was simple, there was a bed with a nightstand and across was a table and two chairs. He woke up on the bed with his wrists tied together hours ago.

 

It wasn’t long before Minsung and Taehyun came into the room when he woke up. They didn’t waste any time telling their men to strap him on to the chair with large buckets of ice cold water at the side. No matter how much they forced him to answer, the raven was just too stubborn and refused to even address the said offer. Now here he was secured onto a chair shivering and soaked from head to toe.

 

“Yah, Ong Seongwoo. It’s just a simple yes or no, isn’t it? I’m already being considerate by having your bandages changed and decided to put up with your shit but you’re really pushing it now,” Even when Taehyun held his jaw, Seongwoo refused to look at his direction. “Tsk, silence won’t mean I’ll leave you alone but if you want to be like that then fine, we’ll see how long you can keep it up,” Was all he said before he left not without slamming the door on his way out.

 

Seongwoo lets out a shaky sigh at the sound of the door slam but now he was left trembling all over because of all the cold water dumped all over his body. His clothes were already stuck to his skin and his hair all over his forehead. Even he wasn’t so sure how much more he could take but he has yet to find an opportunity to plan an escape, he had to get started soon if he ever wanted to leave safe and completely sane.

 

“Aren’t you a stubborn nut to crack,” Came an amused voice from behind him, the corners of his lips automatically curved down into a deep frown. Of all people, it just had to be the one he despised the most. “You must be feeling really cold right now,” Seo continued, much closer judging by the volume. Seongwoo kept his mouth shut.

 

“Aw, c’mon~ Is this about the other day?”

 

_ Does that mean he was out for at least a day?  _ Seongwoo wondered to himself, but his train of thought was cut off when grimy hands rested themselves on his shoulders. He couldn’t help but tense.

 

“It wasn’t that shitty, if you’re that disappointed then should we try again?” The man innocently asked but Seongwoo was smart enough to know it was anything but innocent. Seongwoo kept his mouth shut, he didn’t think he was worth dealing with anyway.

 

Seo thought otherwise.

 

Seongwoo thought if he ignored him, then he would also leave him alone. He didn’t think the man would be more daring when he felt one of the hands slide down to his pecs. The raven flinched at the touch, he wanted to get away from those disgusting hands as soon as he could but the ropes merely bit into his skin the more he tried to struggle in its hold.

 

Minsung smiled smugly at the reaction. His other hand slid down lower to his stomach while the other hooked itself around his neck resting itself on his other shoulder. “Don’t you go out to get laid sometimes? Aren’t you feeling deprived lately?” The older man continued with his thumb stroking the capo’s stomach. Because of the clothing clinging onto his skin, there was only a thin layer protecting him from those vile hands.

 

“Or… does Kang do the fucking for you?” The raven continued to pull against his restraints, Seo was more than amused as he cackled right beside his ear. “He does fuck you! Doesn’t he?” He said and forced Seongwoo to look at him by holding his chin.

 

“Then what makes me any different? I could give you a hella good time too,” Although he attempted to capture the raven’s lips, Seongwoo managed to turn his head away in the last minute. It seemed like a small moment of victory being able to avoid another untoward incident. But he was wrong, Seo wasn’t stupid. Seongwoo missed the sinister grin that stretched across his face.

 

“Why I wouldn’t mind that either,” Seo’s chuckle was the last thing he heard before the man sank his teeth into the skin of his neck. Seongwoo’s mouth fell open as he threw his head back but he refused to let any sound slip. Minsung held his head to the side rendering his efforts futile as he continued to ravish on the expanse of alabaster skin.

 

“Fucker!” Seongwoo yelled as he violently squirmed in hopes of getting away from the man himself. It hurt, every push of his teeth into his skin was enough to leave unwanted bruises in its wake but one particular bite was hard enough to draw blood from his skin.

 

Seo licked up the blood, not minding the tangy taste of copper on his tongue as he lapped up on the bleeding mark. By the end of it all, Minsung walked to the front and admired his work. Seongwoo had his fists clenched, sweat dribbled down his temple, and breath growing heavier by the minute after all the exhaustion from struggling. But Seo traced the rather large marks that bloomed on his pale neck. Various shades of red that littered Seongwoo’s form left a satisfying feeling in the tips of Seo’s fingers.

 

“Now that’s the shit,” The man even had the audacity to wolf whistle at the capo as his hand slid down his torso to his thigh and let it rest there to caress the supple skin. “Don’t you know how much better it is to see you like this?” He slid his other hand on to the opposite thigh. “The urge to fuck and make you beg is always so strong I wonder if this is how Kang felt when he first held you like this,” He mused while his hands slid higher much too close to his crotch.

 

Seongwoo tried so hard to squirm, wriggle, jerk, twist, anything to move away from the hands dangerously closing in but it made Seo all the more amused. “Must you fight so hard?” The man chuckled and raised one hand to comb through the smooth raven locks, gripping and pulling his head back when it reached the back of his head.

 

“Don’t you worry, I have something much better in store for you tomorrow,” The other disgusting hand slid down his cheek along his three-point constellation, “Oh don’t worry, I’ll be sure to make it memorable,” The man cackled as he left the capo still bound and shivering from the cold.

~ .oOo. ~

 

“What do you suggest?” Was the first thing Kang (begrudgingly) said as he took his seat on the edge of the long table. Hours after Daniel finally calmed down, he called back the two Parks and Jaehwan while the others were told to be on standby for preparation.

 

“Do you even have an idea of who we’re up against?” Jihoon asked.

 

“Maybe,” Daniel simply replied, though he found it slightly amusing when he saw their jaws drop at the response. “The fuck, Kang. How are we going to plan if you’re not even sure who they are?” Jaehwan couldn’t help but scratch his head in frustration.

 

“Don’t play stupid, of course, I have my suspicions. What do you think I’m here for?” He chuckled as he got up and called Jinyoung in. “Did you find it?” Just as he asked, Jinyoung laid out several large photos of a house taken in different angles.

 

“I haven’t confirmed it but ―”

 

“Better than nothing,” Daniel cuts him off and looked through the additional details on the screen when Jinyoung placed his laptop down. “Sirang-ri, Gijang-gun?” The underboss scoffed, “To think they were this close,” He muttered in amusement, “It’s not guaranteed yet,” Jinyoung repeated as if to serve as a reminder, “This was only based on CCTV footages I picked up along the area since there were rumors about a mafia group hidden there,”

 

“Where’d you heard of that?” Woojin interjected, “Kang’s network,” Jinyoung casually replied while he took back his laptop. Jaehwan raised a brow in confusion, “You had a network?”

 

“Of course I do, how do you think I keep myself updated with the surrounding regions?” Daniel shrugged as if it was the most normal thing, “It’s a part of the drug business, you build connections and it goes a long way. You know, besides the actual drugs and shit but you get the point,”

 

“How come I’ve never heard of this before?”

 

“Guanlin handles my network, told Jinyoung to work with him so… here we are,” He said with a smug looking grin. “So what did they tell you?” He turned to their tech genius who was now typing away at his laptop.

 

“Apparently, no one knows they’re involved in an underground business. Their headquarters just looks like a house in a clearing. A bit far from anyone else, probably to make sure they weren’t easily caught and they would have to put some effort if they ever wanted to spy on them.” Jinyoung starts and opened a photo showing an ordinary looking house indeed in the middle of a clearing.

 

“Usually, they’re silent and discreet. They said the neighbors don’t know who they are and they don’t bother trying to know either. They seemed to be ‘in their own world’ anyway,” He emphasized with air quotation marks. “But lately, they were said to be a little more active. More deliveries, exports, people going in and out with other stuff and leaving empty handed probably because of a trade,”

 

“What about it?” Daniel cuts in and sounded rather impatient with the incessant sound of his foot tapping away at the wooden floorboards. “It’s another clue. Since you both raided one of their remote warehouses months ago, they’re probably trying to catch up with their quota and thought they had to make as many transactions as they could to make up for the loss.”

 

Daniel merely hummed in acknowledgment and gestured him to continue. For a moment, Jinyoung looked hesitant. “There’s also… some unexpected findings,” He hesitantly starts, “What do you mean unexpected?” Daniel asked Jinyoung continued to tap away on his laptop until a photo showed up.

 

“Seo Minsung was seen within the vicinity,” Jinyoung said as turned the laptop towards the rest. Indeed on the photo was a familiar tall man with a mop of messy dark brown hair. “Seo? The man I kicked out of the job?” The underboss said and sounded rather incredulous while he zoomed in on the man’s face. No doubt it was the original drug capo they had before Daniel exposed him to the rest.

 

“You’re saying he’s probably with them now?” Jaehwan said looking baffled at the entire situation though he wasn’t alone. The two fighters looked just as confused. “The hell did he think he’d get out of this?”

 

“Guanlin said he could be leaking information,” Jinyoung cuts them off before they could continue, “The drug route they ambushed when we first encountered them was one of the original routes you decided to keep. They couldn’t possibly know about that in a short span of time considering how discreet you want them to be. And somehow, they managed to find out who you two were when you both barely show yourselves outside of this place. We’ve also deleted everything concerning those online when you took over, nothing should’ve been left. Not even a genius hacker could get a hold of that information since it wasn’t supposed to exist anymore.”

 

“He must’ve joined them when he found out we fucked them over,” Daniel growled and slammed his fist on the table. “That bastard, when I find him I’ll―!”

 

“Just shut it already, you already calmed down and now you’re going to get worked up again,” Jaehwan sighed in an irritated manner it ticked the said man off, “When there’s this shithead out there leaking everything? Do you expect me to be calm?!” The underboss said not realizing his voice grew louder.

 

“The more you act like some child in a tantrum, the more we waste time. Seongwoo could be awake right now, you know what they do to hostages? You of all people would know and it isn’t going to be pretty. Now if you want to get him back then I suggest you shut the fuck up and sit your sorry ass down” The co-capo shot back, he could understand why Daniel felt frustrated as he was now but this wasn’t going to help them locate him faster. They needed a detailed and foolproof plan. Otherwise, they would put themselves and Seongwoo into more unnecessary danger.

 

Thankfully, yelling into his face seemed like an effective approach (even though he secretly prayed Daniel wouldn’t punch him) when the underboss let out a long sigh as he plopped down on the chair. “It’s almost been three days, no doubt he already woke up and who knows what they could be doing to him now. Fuck,” Daniel clenched his fist enough for his knuckles to turn white.

 

“Guess you could say the network you built really paid off, it would’ve taken me longer to find all this if I didn’t have their help,” Jinyoung commented before he continued typing away. Fortunately for them, Daniel finally calmed down his body visibly losing its tension as time passed.

 

“Let me see the photo of the house again,” Daniel said as he leaned closer to the laptop to scan through the entire layout and surroundings. The clearing was wide, the house was situated towards the right while the left was spacious with a few vans parked on the day it was taken.

 

“When was this photo taken?” Daniel asked.

 

“Just last week after they spotted Seo,” Jinyoung answered and gestured towards the marked date on the corner. “So it’s recent,” Perfect. Daniel thought if the photo was that new then they wouldn’t have to worry much about layout changes unless they changed anything in the past days. Though drastic changes seemed highly unlikely at this point.

 

“Jaehwan, how many snipers do we have? Not necessarily snipers, just anyone close to Seongwoo’s accuracy,” Daniel didn’t bother to look when he asked, his gaze doesn’t leave the screen as if he was already plotting the entire plan in his head.

 

“Just around six, I think,” Although he was a bit confused, Jaehwan didn’t think it would be a good idea to question his decisions at the moment. “Just enough,” The underboss mumbled as he pulled the aerial shot towards the center of the table.

 

“I need five of them on standby around the perimeter,” Daniel started and marked off some spots where he wanted them to stay. “The last one will be on standby by the windows, we’ll have some of our frontline cover for them and make sure they stay protected. Woojin, you heard me?”

 

“Three should be enough to cover him, but I can have the remaining men be on the lookout” The taller fighter replied. “Then join the three and have the rest cover, stay hidden by the trees. I’ll have Jihoon lead the entire squadron, surely that wouldn’t be a problem? He said as he turned to the shorter Park who scoffed at the question, “Do you even need to ask?”

 

“Hey, just wanted to be sure shorty could handle it or if I should switch your roles with Woojin,” The silver-haired underboss shrugged with a smug smirk on his face, if he weren’t the boss then Jihoon would’ve hit him by now judging by the twitch of his eye.

 

But he was the boss, so what could he do? He couldn’t help but tease anyway.

 

Daniel continued to draw marks on the map ranging from dots, circles, and squares to mark everyone’s position in their plan. “Alright, I got everything down,” He announced as he held up the photo for everyone to see.

 

“Like I mentioned earlier, we’ll have five snipers surrounding the perimeter from every angle in case anyone tried to escape the perimeters. For the rest of our shooters, scatter them right behind the snipers. If any of them can climb the trees, then have them position themselves on higher ground. They’ll act as support if any of the targets managed to escape but it’s not their priority to shoot. If too many guns went off all at once, then the neighborhood will grow suspicious and call the police on us. One mistake and it’s over,” Daniel paused, “Jaehwan will be the one to oversee the preparations for that. I trust you can disseminate the information well?”

 

“Considered done,” The weapons capo nods in affirmation, “The frontline,” Daniel started and turned towards Jihoon and Woojin, “If the marksmen stay above the I want everyone grounded. Make sure t hey’re all hidden, there’s like a thousand trees there. If they can’t even do that then I want them out when the operation is over,” The underboss narrowed his eyes as a warning, “I don’t need incompetent men in our ranks,”

 

“Right,” The two Parks responded simultaneously.

 

“What are you going to do?” Jaehwan piped up from the back but everyone else looked equally curious. Daniel merely chuckled.

 

“I’m going in alone,”

 

“WHAT?” Everyone balked at the silver-haired man. It was simply outrageous.

 

“Haven’t you learned your lesson? The last time you faced them alone, it ended up in a huge gunfight that left them wanting revenge!” Jihoon snapped, “They would want revenge more than ever, they even took Seongwoo.” Jaehwan continued, “Doesn’t that spell dangerous enough to you?”

 

“For crying out loud, calm your dicks,” Daniel rolled his eyes at the three. “You haven’t even heard me explain the rest,” The underboss said with arms raised in mock surrender. When they finally calmed down, Daniel lowered his arms and lets them rest on his hips.

 

“Fine, then what did you plan on doing?” Jaehwan grumbled as he sat back down on the seat behind him.

 

“But before that,” Daniel said looking rather tensed and impatient. “How long will the preparations for the formation take?”

 

“Around 5 hours at most for my side,”

 

“Same on our end of the plan,”

 

Jaehwan and Woojin said respectively, Daniel clicked his tongue in disapproval. “Is that fastest time you can prepare?” When the two remained silent after the question, the underboss sighed. He wanted to finish up quickly and hopefully get there before they’ve even done anything to the raven capo.

 

No doubt he was already awake, it’s almost been an entire 48 hours since they got back and Daniel’s been itching to leave just to get him back. These guys were their enemies, Daniel doesn’t know anything about them and it puts him on edge. The fact that he doesn’t know just what they could possibly do to him left a bad taste in his mouth. Seo’s current involvement just added more stress to the current situation. He was definitely out for revenge, but to what extent?

 

For a moment, he could feel the familiar weight on his chest, but there was no time for that. Not until Seongwoo was back safely in his arms. He couldn’t leave right now, but he had no other choice. He would rather leave prepared with higher chances of winning than to end up desperately hanging on by a thread.

 

“Fine, we’ll leave in six hours. No later than that, are we clear?” When the rest nodded in acknowledgment, Daniel looked back at the photos scattered on the table.

 

“Alright, now listen up, this is how the plan works,”

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

“Rise and shine! Did our little prince get some good night’s sleep?” Seongwoo groaned at the familiar voice, one he did not want to hear for the rest of his life if possible. But no matter how much he wanted to avoid the voice, Seo walked closer to the bed. After drenching him in cold water for hours on end, they tied his arms to the bedpost similar to that of a long chain. In the past few days, his ‘captors’ did give him food and water under Taehyun’s orders.

 

Seongwoo hasn’t eaten anything since he got there, he couldn’t bring himself to. They may be serious about their proposition to create an amicable relationship, but he wasn’t sure how much they wanted him on their side. What if they had some drug that could force him to their mercy? They were drug dealers too. Chances of them having something like that weren’t impossible, to begin with.

 

Seo forced him out of his thought when he pulled him up by his arm. Much to his dismay, he was forced to come face-to-face with the man as he was pulled to a kneeling position. “Looking perfect like yesterday, good. That makes you all the more desirable for your debut performance,” The man said before he let him fall back on the bed.

 

“... What?” Seongwoo managed to say barely above a whisper because of the dry state of his throat. “Oh? Did you forget already?” Minsung asked with a Cheshire grin across his face. “After I had my free trial with you?” He continued, uttering each word in a slow way enough to make Seonwoo gag at the words. The unpleasant memory flashing back in his mind when he first woke up in this wretched house.

 

“Looks like you finally remembered!” Seo said in a happy yet unsettling tone, there was something about it that made Seongwoo feel his throat constrict at the thought of what could possibly come next.

 

“Now let’s get you ready,” Seo said with a snap of his fingers. In an instant, three men came and untied him from the bedpost but kept his wrist tied behind his back. “Bring him to the studio and get him ready,” was all he heard before he was carried out of the room in a rather rough manner. After several turns and corridors, the three dragged him into a well-lit room enough to make him squint.

 

“Welcome to our studio!” The man cheerfully announced as the men sat Seongwoo down on the edge of the large bed in the center. Seongwoo glanced around the room, he was seated on a queen-sized bed placed in the center of the room surrounded by cameras of various sizes. Behind the cameras were several men and one whom he recognized as ‘Sanggyun’ with a stash of papers in his hands.

 

“You sure Taehyun approved of this? I didn’t really hear from him this morning,” Sanggyun said sounding nonchalant with his arms crossed. “Told him about this already and he said I could do as I please, doesn’t that count as a go signal? Geez, Sanggyun. I already told you this morning,” The said man rolled his eyes, “Just get him ready so we can get this over with,” He called out as he stalked away from the two men.

 

“Well, you heard the guy. Get him ready,” Minsung called out and the men moved in an instant. One of the men who dragged him here came back with shears while the other came back with a shoebox. Before he could even ask, the man with the shears grabbed him by the edge of his shirt and cuts it off. Seongwoo felt panic when the cold air met his bare torso but it didn’t end there. His nerves spiked up when another held the hem of his pants and pulled downwards completely slipping it off his legs no matter how much he squirmed to get the hands away. But he could only do so much with his hands tied behind his back.

 

“Get the fuck off!” He managed to shout in between his struggles but the men were too strong, he was no match for the strong arms that held him down to render his efforts useless. Seongwoo was completely stripped naked except for his boxers being the only layer of protection he had left as he was now bare for all their eyes to see.

 

“Perfect, just as I thought,” Seo commented as he traced a hand to the marks he left on his skin. “Can’t wait to get started already,” He chuckled as he leaned close to the raven’s ear, the sound successfully sending shivers down his spine.

 

“Get off,” Seongwoo said with an attempt to push him away but Seo held him down by his shoulders. “Don’t worry about it, little prince. We got some stuff to help you get in the mood anyway,” He whispered in his ear before he turned back to the men on his side.

 

“Get the aphrodisiacs,”

 

“Oh hell no,” Seongwoo hissed violently struggled against his grip, “Get that thing away from me!” He shouted as he thrashed from their hold but three men could pin him down easy.

 

“This is for you too, babe,” Minsung faked a smile as he took out one pill from the bottle. “Now open up!” He playfully said while he tried to shove the pill into his lips. “Bitch stop squirming! Are you trying to make your wound bleed? Then be my fucking guest!”

 

When Seo’s patience finally ran out, he grabbed Seongwoo by his jaw and forced the pill down his throat. “There, now wasn’t that easy?” The brunette man patted his cheek before he got up leaving the raven laid out on the bed.

 

“Now be a good boy and wait while I prepare myself, it takes a while before it takes effect anyway,” Minsung cackled when he walked away and left Seongwoo feeling more frustrated and disgusted by the minute. If only he had his hands free then he could have avoided this. He wouldn’t be treated like shit, and maybe he could’ve made his escape by now. Yet, here he was stuck in a studio he didn’t need to think what it was for.

 

He can’t do this, he didn’t want to do this but he could only hope for a miracle at this point. Maybe in the next few seconds, the ropes would suddenly snap. Maybe Seo would end up falling down the stairs and breaking his neck (oh how he hoped for this miracle so bad). Maybe Taehyun would finally realize they won’t get anything out of him and set him free.

 

Maybe Daniel would arrive and finally take him away from this hellhole.

 

…

 

Ha, has he finally reached the point of desperation to pray for that guy’s help? How unfortunate. But what are the odds he’d come? From what he’s observed, the underboss hasn’t asked anything but a good fuck. Nothing else came to mind but knowing he was so replaceable left a sense of bitterness at the thought.

 

For now, he could only hope for a miracle. Fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another two weeks have gone but at least we have another one up? yeah, pinky promise Daniel will arrive sooner than you think. Just a little more I sWEAR


	16. Phase Epsilon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Foul language, Sexual harassment, Violence

Daniel spent his time waiting for the preparations. He was already dressed in his combat boots, ripped denim jeans, a bulletproof vest fastened over his black dress shirt, and leather gloves with studded knuckles. But he was more than prepared with the intent to kill. Each leg had gun holsters with two pistols: his Beretta on the left and Seongwoo’s Cz75 on the right. Underneath his vest were two more handguns and several magazines to reload with.

 

For the past half hour, he stood outside the warehouse and smoked half a pack. That was definitely more than the usual he does in a week, he absentmindedly thought to himself as he took out another cigarette from his pocket.

 

“Wow,” Jaehwan’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts, “Trying to feel what having cancer is like? Already warning you it isn’t going to be pretty,” The underboss rolled his eyes at the remark.

 

“Oh shut up,” Daniel glared but he took another long drag before he tossed the cigarette on the ground. “Why are you here?” The capo sauntered to his side with a smug smile on his face, “Preparations are already finished an hour earlier than expected!” Jaehwan wasted no time to show off what he did and it was impossible to miss.

 

The weapons capo was equipped with his own variety of arms ranging from hidden magazines to the larger gun slung on his torso. Jaehwan was dressed in all black with his own bulletproof vest. The smaller guns on his holsters were merely secondary options since his main weapon was the UZI that hung on his back. Sometimes, Daniel forgets how capable Jaehwan can be behind the maniacal laugh he often heard echoing down the halls.

 

“And the Parks?”

 

“Right behind you, boss” Came Woojin’s mischievous voice as Daniel came face-to-face with a playful smile showcasing the snaggletooth on the right. “Five hours too much for you?” Kang scoffed at the sight of their forces positioned behind their respective capos. Members with guns and crates lined up behind Jaehwan and others armed with leather gloves, brass knuckles,  and daggers on the side of the Parks.

 

“Aren’t you an enthusiastic lot,” Daniel scoffed, “When was the last time you did this?”

 

“Hella long time, that’s for sure,” Jihoon nonchalantly shrugged, but Daniel could see he was craving some action as if his twitchy fingers weren’t enough. “You’re just itching to get back there aren’t you?” Jihoon doesn’t deny it though, the boy merely leered as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

 

“What could be a better method of training fighters when you can show them how it’s done?”

 

“Then let’s not delay any further,” Daniel declared with a smirk.

 

“It’s about time we send our own greetings, don’t you think?”

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

Seongwoo lost track of how long it’s been since the drug forced him to let go of the reigns. His body felt flushed and hot, emotions were running haywire, and his breathing had gone labored. There were too many things for his mind to process he couldn’t keep up with but the pain was the most evident.

 

Minsung had him bent over with his ass up in the air, the men from earlier held him down by the shoulders rendering any movement useless with his hands still bound behind his back. He’s been using various toys growing in size by the minute in hopes of widening his hole. Apparently, the man wanted him loose and very much exposed claiming it would attract more viewers.

 

“That’s it, take it all in and you’d be gaping in no time,” Seo said with an unsettling grin that sent shivers down his spine. Another shove of the large dildo, another brush against his prostate. The aphrodisiac did nothing to hide his lust and amplified it immensely. His sensitivity was at an all-time high the quickest brush could make him tremble at the contact.

 

“Fucking perfect,” The man commented a the sight of lube dripping down from his hole when he pulled out the toy. “Now stay put and look pretty,” Minsung said not without inserting a butt plug before he left with a lit cigarette in hand. Something to keep him loose he said but fuck that, Seongwoo wanted it off. He wanted to get away from this disgusting man and his sick sense of power.

 

“You’re pathetic,” He suddenly spat it has Seo halting in his steps. “Is this some sort of revenge plot? Some sort of petty redemption for having your shitty life exposed like that?” Seongwoo chuckled when he saw his fingers twitch. “Oh? Was I right after all?” The raven let out another laugh.

 

“You lose your source of fortune and that’s it?” Amidst his labored breaths, he still forced the words out of his lips. “Wow, human greed is indeed amazing. It can make even the most dignified people stoop down to the lowest of the low. I guess that makes you a perfect example,” Seongwoo sneered with every bit of venom in his tone. Everyone obviously saw him as the receiving end of all the pain and unwanted lust. But he refused to back down, not without a fight anyway. What do they take him for? A damsel in distress?

 

“If this is some way to stroke your lame-ass ego then I’m definitely ama―” Minsung doesn’t let him finish and once again, he is pinned down onto the bed with the man straddling his back.

 

“Tsk, why do you have to be so noisy?” The man clicked his tongue, his irritation only fueled Seongwoo’s confidence to get the man so worked up over his words. “I only spoke the truth, dipshit” Seongwoo dared to emphasize with a jerk successfully knocking the man off his back with a smirk. But the said man wasn’t so amused, he was furious as if the clenched fist wasn’t an obvious indicator.

 

“Looks like brats still need to be trained, don’t they?” Minsung was seething as he got up from the floor. Despite the crazed look in his eyes, Seongwoo refused to show fear. Not when there’s a crazy man who would obviously indulge himself with his vulnerability.

 

“Back to lesson number one,” In one snap of his fingers, the raven was once again pinned down flat on the bed with no room for movement. “Lesson number one!” He happily declared as he once again straddled the capo’s back.

 

“Know your place,” Was all Seongwoo heard before a strong and painful burning sensation zeroed in between his shoulder blades. The raven could not hold back the yelp that slipped through his lips but he refused to make any other noise. His mouth merely falling open in a silent scream.

 

“Oh c’mon, won’t you let me hear you?” Minsung jeered as he pressed the cigarette until the fire was out. No matter how much he squirmed, Seo was firmly rooted on the spot it rendered his efforts useless. “What happened to all the feisty words you had earlier, huh?”

 

No matter how provocative he got, Seongwoo refused to answer. Giving in would equate to a small victory for the older man and he didn’t want to give him a hint of power over him. If Seo wanted sound, then Seongwoo was more than determined to keep his mouth shut.

 

“Well aren’t you enjoying yourself today,” A foreign yet familiar voice came from the door. It was the rest of 787 each filing into the room behind Taehyun with different reactions to the obscene situation. Interest, shock, and a bit of disgust all towards his bare form that laid on the mattress.  

 

“If anything, I’d say you were more than eager to sell their information to us for the sake of getting your hands on his bitch,” The small boss scoffed when he spotted the black butt plug peeking out between his ass.

 

“I won’t deny that,” The man chuckled and threw the dead cigarette aside, “I mean, have you seen this face?” He said as he tugged the raven up by his hair. “And with a body like this, how can I not be tempted?” Seongwoo heard him when he felt a hand slide down along his spine. No matter how much he tried to hold back, the aphrodisiac in his system made it impossible to ignore.

 

“I see the drugs you asked for are working perfectly,” Donghan nonchalantly commented when Seongwoo’s erect dick peeped out from underneath. To be humiliated in such a way felt so degrading but he couldn’t make a move to hide because of Seo on his back and the grip on his hair.

 

“Even if he has shard features, he looks so cute though. Even with his hair sticking on his forehead like that~” Kenta cooed when he walked over to Seongwoo’s side while Taehyun stood by the back. “Did you even need the drug in the first place?” He said as he pushed the buttplug further eliciting a low groan from the bound capo. The boss went of further and played around with the plug, pulling it out, thrusting it back in, and twisting it around as he pleased. No matter how much he tried, Seongwoo kept writhing and squirming in hopes of getting away from the defiling hands.

 

“He’s already leaking,” Taehyun scoffed as he continued to play with the plug. Seongwoo was losing control way too fast but the drug that was spreading through his body made him lose his hold over the small bit of control he had left. The physical sensations shooting up his brain were too much for him to grasp he could barely stop himself from pushing back at the plug.

 

“C’mon, don’t be shy. Won’t you let us hear you?” Kenta said as he noticed the constant biting Seongwoo has been doing on his bottom lip. “You’ll wound your lips if you keep holding back like this,” The Japanese man said as he stroked his thumb across the thin swollen lips.

 

“Was just teaching him a lesson earlier, the fag’s got a loud mouth,” Minsung clicked his tongue and finally jumped off his back but he kept his palm on his back to prevent him from attempting anything else.

 

Amidst their exploration of the raven’s bare back, a panicked member of their ‘family’ suddenly burst through the room panting because of all the running they did. “T-Taehyun!” The man cried out in between labored breaths. “Trouble at the front clearing!”

 

Taehyun clicked his tongue and pushed the plug back into Seongwoo’s ass a little harder than intended. The raven couldn’t hold back the moan that slipped through his lips, he was far too gone to form any rational thoughts.

 

“What can you possibly not handle?” Taehyun was obviously pissed.

 

“They’re here!” Was all the man said but everyone else was confused.

 

“Speak up!” Taehyun demanded, but none of them expected what his next words would be.

 

“Kang is outside!”

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

“Oh? It really does look like a house, I’ll give them that,” Daniel mused to himself as he stood alone in the center of the clearing. Despite the vulnerability of being exposed, Kang radiated confidence with his stance: feet apart, hands rested on his hips and a smirk along his lips. Just as he thought. Since they were supposed to be a ‘family’ (Daniel snorted just by thinking about it), it was highly unlikely they would protect their place the way Geumhwansang Pa would. It would raise too much suspicion considering how they’re barely a mile away from the residential area.

 

When he saw some of the men run back into the house, he couldn’t help but chuckle. Looks like everything is going to go according to plan after all. “Flanks are open. Woojin, get into position.” Daniel said loud enough for his earpiece to pick up his voice.

 

“Roger that,” Woojin replied, just in time for Daniel to see them run to the sides with one sniper in tow.

 

“Jaehwan,”

 

“Already ahead of you,” He proudly said through the earpiece, “Snipers in place on higher ground,”

 

“And the rest?”

 

“All elevated in between the snipers,” Jaehwan confidently declared the underboss could almost see his smug face. A sight he always rolled his eyes at. “Get your head out of your ass and stay put,”

 

“Aye aye, sir” Daniel could almost see the mock salute Jaehwan usually does whenever he said that. All distractions aside, Daniel remained rooted on the spot until Taehyun finally came out with the towering fighters on his side.

 

“Noh Taehyun, what a pleasure!” Daniel mockingly said with his arms stretched outward in a dramatic fashion. “To think I would actually see you here,” The silver-haired underboss laughed but the three members of 787 obviously weren’t happy about his presence.

 

“And what’s an ‘esteemed’ underboss like you doing in our territory?” Taehyun replied with his own fake smile and sarcastic tone, their auras clashing against one another in a fiery battle of status and pride. “Were you not satisfied with your first attempt?” The smaller boss spat as he narrowed his eyes at the taller man.

 

“That would sound fun, won’t it?” He laughed and continued, “I believe you have something… no, someone important to me here,”

 

“Bullshit,” Taehyun cuts him off, a little too fast in Daniel’s opinion. Despite the nonchalance on his face, Daniel doesn’t miss the hand he slid into his pocket.

 

“Now that wouldn’t be enough, how am I a hundred percent sure if you won’t show me?” The underboss said with the most convincing smile he could muster, “If you aren’t hiding anything then me going around once shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

 

“You wouldn’t have any business in here, either. So why don’t you just turn tail and go?” The one he recognized as ‘Donghan’ shot back, but they were being so defensive Daniel couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“You mean like what shrimpy did when you tried to ambush my men?” Daniel said in between laughs as he pointed at the said man but the tall man seething at Taehyun’s side finally snapped.

 

“Bastard!” The tallest one cried out and dared to charge but Donghan held him back, “I wouldn’t say I’m the only incompetent one here, wouldn’t you agree?” Taehyun started with his own matching grin it was the underboss raising an eyebrow.

 

“You’re here preaching all about competence and abilities but aren’t you the same incompetent bastard you accuse me of being?” Another step forward, “You? A competent boss? Ha! You make me laugh. If you were as capable as you think you are, then you shouldn’t be out here looking for your bitch,” The smaller man scoffed Daniel had to keep himself cool even if the words made him freeze on the spot.

 

“You’re just the same incapable bastard who can’t look out for anything or anyone, don’t think so high and mighty of yourself,” Daniel remained rooted on the spot fists clenched until his knuckles were white. For a moment, his body couldn’t move.

 

How long has it been since he last heard those words?

 

 _“You’re **pathetic**_ , **** _”_

 

“ _**Weak**_ , **** _”_

 

 _“It’s_ **_your fault_ ** _they’re dead!”_

 

 _“It’s all_ **_your fault_ ** _you’re an orphan,”_

 

 _“You_ **_weren’t as strong_ ** _as you thought,”_

 

 _“You’re just_ **_the same incapable bastard who can’t look out for anything or anyone_** _, don’t think so high and mighty of yourself”_

 

Daniel unconsciously clenched tighter, “I’m not―”

 

“Are you really?” Taehyun doesn’t let him finish, not when he saw a small bit of hesitation in Kang. _A sensitive topic, I see._ “Ong Seongwoo, such a pretty little thing there’s so many possibilities. Isn’t there? A twitch of his fingers, Taehyun knew he hit a nerve.

 

“What did you do,” Daniel’s voice turned dark and cold with venom dripping heavily at every word. “Would it matter?” The boss cackled at the reaction, “You weren’t even sure if he was here and yet you come marching right at our porch, but hey let me indulge you in our thoughts,”

 

“Kang, don’t listen to them,” He heard Jaehwan said from his earpiece, “They’re doing it on purpose, don’t let your guard down―”

 

“He’s a really fun guy. Definitely talks a lot for his position and maybe he could help pass the time too,” Taehyun mused, “Seo definitely takes care of him well, I’m sure you’re familiar with the name. You would also know how he could get, hopefully, the guy you’re looking for isn’t on the receiving end,” He said with a shrug. “I mean, it would obviously be your fault if he went through anything bad at this point,”

 

“Give him back!” Daniel’s composure snapped, not even the voices from his earpiece were able to drill some sense of calmness into him. Out of anger and desperation, he charged but Taehyun was unfazed. Not when he had his most reliable fighters on his side.

 

“Kang, get back to position! You’ll throw off the snipers― Dammit!” The underboss completely disregards the capo’s voice yelling in his ear. Daniel took a huge leap to the air for an ax kick but the two giants were quick enough to block him out. Before they could grab him by the ankle, Daniel leaped off from their shoulder and pulled out two pistols in midair. The moment he landed, Daniel turned back and shot towards the two men who ran towards him. Even with his skill, dodging two flurries of punches simultaneously proved to be difficult. It didn’t help how disoriented his mind was with his past and the thoughts of Seongwoo’s safety slowing down his thought process.

 

“Where. Is. He,” The underboss was visibly getting restless. His attacks were getting more aggressive but his defense was getting sloppy and they took that opportunity. In between attacks and parries, one kick managed to make Kang stagger backward to catch himself.

 

“What? Is this it? I thought you’d be more than this,” Taehyun said with a rather disappointed tone. “Ha! Who said I’m done?” Kang scoffed as he straightened himself with his pistols at hand still looking rather unsteady on his movements.

 

“I’m surprised you’re not as strong as they said you were, what happened to the guy who killed off our men in the remote warehouse? Or are you nothing without an ambush?”

 

“You speak of arrogance when you’re the one cowering behind your fighters. Are your legs too short to reach me?” Just when Daniel finished his words, he was suddenly knocked down with another kick to his torso causing him to fall on his back with a groan.

 

“Wah~You’re confidence is unbelievable, don’t you know when to give up?” The smaller man said as he stepped on one of Kang’s pistols effectively pinning down his hand. “I wonder, should we just take you in for trespassing our territory?” He emphasized as he pressed down at the hand.

 

“To think you’d go down like this, a pity yet humiliating,” Taehyun couldn’t hold back a laugh,

 

“That bitch has made you weak,”

 

 _“We found him,”_ Came another voice from his earpiece it has him grinning.

 

 

> _(“If it’s me they want, then it’s me they’ll get. My presence alone would be enough to cause a commotion that will distract them. Likelihood of them sending off Taehyun would be high, chances are he wouldn’t be guarded. During that encounter, Woojin and the three can scout the house from the outside but do not engage in combat. You only need to find where Minsung and Seongwoo are,”)_

 

 

Suddenly, it was as if a switch was flicked when Kang’s eyes went dark as his lips curled up into a smile. “Fucking finally,” The underboss muttered to himself. With no second to spare, Kang suddenly got up from the ground as he kicked off the man who stood before him.

 

Taehyun staggered back while the two charged in his stead. But Daniel was already on his feet, the crazed-looking grin not once leaving his lips. “Phase Delta,” Was all he had to say before three gunshots went off knocking the trio down after the bullets buried themselves into their legs.

 

Various profanity slipped from their lips as they crumpled to the ground to nurse their own wounds while Daniel merely stood back watching them squirm in discomfort. “You didn’t really think I came alone, did you?”

 

 

> _(“When I give the signal, shoot them down,”_
> 
> _“Wait, what? You mean kill them?”_
> 
> _“No just incapacitating them is fine, That’s Phase Delta,”)_

 

 

“No wait, you saw it coming. You just didn’t think it’d be this huge,” The underboss cackled as he walked past the three men on the floor. “You should feel honored! I even went through the burden of looking distressed to boost your ego,” But one of them was brave enough to grab onto his ankle to make him stop, “Aish, fuck off,” Daniel doesn’t bother to look back when he pulled the trigger towards the man on his feet. Only a pained scream and cries of ‘Hyunbin’ left at its wake.

 

The sound of music to his ears.

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

“Report,”

 

“Jaemin spotted Seo coming out from one of the backrooms, we’re already guarding it from above and outside,” Woojin said through the earpiece.

 

“Stay put, I’m going in. Ji―”

 

“Troops positioned at the back, we have the entire place surrounded,” Jihoon doesn’t bother letting him finish and sounded rather impatient himself, “Someone’s a little impatient,” Daniel chuckled prompting Jihoon to click his tongue in irritation, “I didn’t think your plan involved staying put for the next hour,”

 

“Fine, then bring a few of your men and make sure the three stay d―On second thought, the gunshots was enough to bring out the rest of the security,” Just as he said, men and women alike each had their own weapons and arms, “Looks like they heard your cry for entertainment,”

 

“Well thank the gods,” Jihoon scoffed, “Looks like it’s going to be a field day,”

 

 

> _(“Assuming we get past that stage, we should’ve taken down the boss and whoever he’s with,”_
> 
> _“If the leader is down, wouldn’t it cause a panic?”_
> 
> _“Yes, it would. Which is why we’ll have Jihoon stationed at the front to lead the counterattack,”_
> 
> _“Sounds fun, so that would be?”_
> 
> _“Phase Epsilon,”)_

 

 

“Don’t go overboard,” Daniel had no sincerity behind the phrase, not like Jihoon was going to follow that command anyway. “When the rest of 787 floods through the field, proceed to Phase Epsilon. I’ll handle whoever tries to get in my way inside and you all know the rest,”

 

“Roger that,” Three voices answered in unison before he started to run towards the house. The best thing about Daniel’s abilities was being agile for his height and size. Even if people usually said it would be hard to move around with such physique, Daniel was light on his feet as he easily dodged through daggers and bullets that grazed through his vest.

 

Before the opposite gang could come in contact with him, his own men were quick enough to retaliate by executing a quick ambush that had the whole group surrounded. 787 continued to fight, Geumhwansang Pa continued to counter and paved a path for their leader even if he was capable of doing so on his own.

 

When Daniel broke through the middle, he charged into the house and shut the door behind him. Now that the rest were busy protecting Taehyun, there’s bound to be minimal security at the backroom. “Guanlin!” Daniel called out and the boy was instantly at his side, “You’ve been honing your skills, haven’t you? Keep them away and guard the entrance,” He commanded as he tossed one of his extra pistols to the young teen. With that, he ran off towards the backrooms and didn’t think twice when he saw anyone attempt to stop him.

 

“You’re in the way,” He snarled at the guards. Daniel didn’t bother looking back when he knocked down the several men that got in his way. Whether it be by fist, kick, or gunpoint. He took them all down until no one could stop him besides the wooden door that barred him from the room. So he did the most logical thing he could think of.

 

All he did was take on huge leap and break down the door to pieces.  

 

Daniel had his guns drawn towards his front only to be greeted by the same view. There were three people armed. The familiar Japanese, one that seemed Chinese, and another Korean he hasn’t encountered.

 

And one he was all too familiar with. He gripped onto his pistols tighter.

“One move and you’re dead, yet here you are. You really are something, aren’t you?” Daniel glanced towards the voice, body turning tense and hostile at the scene that presented itself.

 

“You,” One word was all it took to convey every bit of hatred and aggression he had towards the man that sat on the side of the bed. Because on the very bed laid the man he had been looking for for the past three days looking dazed and disoriented.

 

“Give. Him. Back,” Daniel warned him with guns held high towards the two opposite directions. No one moved a muscle. At least, not the armed men anyway. “Not so surprised you would come all the way here,” Seo said as he jumped off the bed.

 

But it wasn’t his words that made him tremble in anger, it was the man he just uncovered. The familiar glow of alabaster skin that graced his eyes were no longer the same. The eyes filled with life now glazed over as an after effect of a drug. The silky raven locks a mess. The clean and beautiful canvas that used to be pristine now marred with blotches of purple and red.

 

“Beautiful, ain’t it?” The brunette had the nerve to stroke the raven’s back, even when the man flinched away the man held him down. “Don’t make me repeat myself,” The underboss threatened as he aimed his other gun at the man by the bed.

 

“Ooh, terrifying. I’m so sorry your highness,” The man mockingly said with no remorse, “But we aren’t finished just yet, can’t you wait a little longer? Things were just about to get better!”

 

“You―!”

 

“Blaming me at fault? What would a kid like you know?” Seo scoffed, “If anything, this proves everything they’ve ever doubted about you! Did you really think everyone readily accepted you within the higher ranks? A kid like you? This is what everyone was worried about, you were bound to bring us down because of your immaturity!” Minsung snarled and raised his own gun towards the underboss.

 

“You’re just a **weak child** , shouldn’t you know where you stand?”

 

Once again, Daniel was hit with another grim wave of nostalgia. He’d been called things as an adult, as a teen, even as far as the day he lost everything. But nothing could ever compare to the hardships he encountered growing up.

 

“You’re right, maybe I was once weak,” Nothing was worse than having his entire youth stolen from him, to be forced to grow up and face reality from its darkest corners. But he wasn’t the same boy all those years ago. “Maybe I am as useless as you think,” He’s been through worse, he’s toughened up to be who he was now, and he’s completely let go of who he was before.

 

“But now, you have no idea,” He declared with a smirk. He wasn’t here to play around, he was here to prove his worth.

 

“That weak child is long gone,” He declared with a smirk.

 

“Woojin!” Was all he needed to shout when four men led by the young fighter suddenly broke into the room through the windows and the door. Gunshots and broken glass flew all over the air as Daniel dove for the man on the bed and stayed down until silence was the only thing that rung through the now still room.

 

For a moment, all remained still. The buzzing in their ears being the only noise they could hear. When the underboss looked up, the three men were shot down and one fatally injured. “Oh? Of all people you just had to be the lucky guy, huh?” The silver-haired man snorted as he squatted down to the brunette’s eye level.

 

“Or… maybe I’m the lucky one between us?” Daniel smirked at the glare the other man threw his way. “I mean, I am a weak child after all. Don’t they say children have their favorite playthings?” He said with a rather whimsical tone it was almost… unsettling. “Then feel honored, you can be my first plaything!” Despite the jovial tone in his voice, it only took a second for Kang to revert to his usual persona.

 

“Join Jihoon and the rest to get things over with, and you two!” He said motioning to the two fighters. “Bring my new toy with you on the way back, I need to make sure he’s… playable when I attend to him later on,” Kang said with the most innocent smile he could muster as the men did as they were told and left.

 

Daniel took the moment to look around. The three members were down. Whether they were just knocked out or dead, he wasn’t really sure but the blood splattered on some parts was enough of an indicator. But then he looked back on the bed, at the only person he hoped to be alive in that room and he couldn’t help but frown.

 

Seongwoo.

 

How long has it been since Daniel has heard that name? It’s only been three days yet it almost felt like an eternity. It’s been long since he last saw him, since he last held him close, since they talked face to face, he couldn’t help but widen his strides when he got closer.

 

“Seongwoo―” Suddenly, Daniel stopped when he was a mere inch away.

 

… When did it escalate this far? Has it always been like this? As far as he was concerned, Seongwoo was like the man that kept his childishness in check. Maybe being boyish was a side effect to losing his youth but somehow being childish around the older man made him feel like the young boy he was.

 

Somehow, it reminded him of what it felt like to have fun every once in a while. But what if he was just overthinking things? Is that... what love felt like? ‘Love’ was a complete mystery to him, a foreign concept he never got to explore. What could he possibly know about it and how it was supposed to feel?

 

Yet, when he finally held Seongwoo in his arms, the relief that flooded his mind was nothing less of a tidal wave. So overwhelming he could figuratively feel himself stumbling back because of it. The feelings that hit him were ones he couldn’t comprehend. The trembling of his hands, the heavy breaths he took, and the way his arms wound itself tightly around the capo’s lithe form.

 

Daniel cut off the ropes in one clean flick of a wrist letting the other’s arms fall to his sides. Gently he also slipped off that wretched butt plug and tossed it away before he buried his face to the crown of his capo’s head. Daniel doesn’t know what overcame him at that moment, but the feeling of holding the real thing in his arms was enough to let his body relax and pour out all the tension and anxiety it unconsciously held.

 

“... What a cliche…” A faint voice mumbled against his chest it almost caught Daniel off guard. “Just admit you’re relieved and say thank you, Kang Daniel,” The underboss jokingly said against his ear it prompted Seongwoo to hit his chest. Daniel ended up laughing it off as he caught the thin wrist in his hand.

 

On the delicate wrist, he held were angry and vibrant rope marks it was obviously going to bruise. Even as he gently brushed his thumb over the spot, Daniel doesn’t miss the twitch of the raven’s finger. An obvious sign of the sensitivity over the said area.

 

“You’re safe now, that’s all that matters,” Daniel muttered to his hair as he gently stroke at the latter’s wrist. For a moment, Seongwoo was at a complete loss. His mind was still hazy but the scenario was definitely strange. Yet, when a different pair of hands held him after a rough three days, he let the pent-up exhaustion overcome his senses and consume what’s left of his consciousness. Kang wasn’t exactly any different from being an enemy, but he was someone he would definitely choose over the psychopathic brunette.

 

“It’s about time we get you out of here, I’m sure you’re already tired of this place,” Daniel said while he dressed him up with the clothes he found in the closet. Before consciousness could completely consume the raven, the silver-haired man suddenly hoisted him up in a… rather embarrassing fashion.

 

“Kang! What. The. Fuck! What am I? A fucking bride?!” He emphasized each word with a pound of his fist on his chest yet the underboss had the audacity to laugh. “Kang, I swear you better put me down or I’ll― ack!” But in between his reckless squirming, Seongwoo almost forgot all about his partially reopened bullet wound until it made itself known with an unpleasant jolt of pain.

 

“A-Ah fuck,” The capo cursed out in pain as he curled in on himself his hands tightly grasped onto the wound on his torso. “See? Now just stay still and get all the rest you need,” Daniel teasingly said as he fixed his hold on the raven capo while the said man groaned and hid his face in his hands.

 

“Just kill me now, please,” Seongwoo groaned to his palms desperately hoping the heat he felt on his face was an after effect of his flushing from the aphrodisiac.

 

“One does not simply kill their princess,” The underboss said with a straightened back and a fake regal tone Seongwoo could almost feel the second-hand embarrassment.

 

“Fuck you,”

 

It didn’t take long to finally make Seongwoo pass out in his arms. After everything he’s been through, he was surely worn out and exhausted. It was only now he could finally be at ease. When Daniel walked out to the field, clothes dirtied by blood and a victorious smirk on his face, the fighting died down. Geumhwansang Pa knowing they won and 787 worried about what the blood stains meant.

 

“Just like always, I win this round,” He proudly declared as he held Seongwoo’s body closer to himself. “You should’ve known your place in this world a long time ago,” The underboss starts as he stopped just in front of the small 787 boss, “What. Did. You. Do,” Taehyun said as he eyed the blood that stained his clothes and cheek.

 

“Now that wouldn’t be a surprise now, would it?” Daniel grinned in a rather sinister way it had Taehyun shaking in fury. “How ironic. You kill for him, you go to extreme lengths to get him back, you trust him so much when you don’t even know who he really is.” The boss finished with a maniacal laugh.

 

“I don’t fucking care about his record,” Daniel snarled, “If it’s all records and crime, then I’m already the one with the worst. What could he possibly have that’s worse than mine,” Was all he said as he finally walked away towards the forest where Jaehwan and the rest stood. “Clear out,” The underboss commanded as his members followed suit and disappeared into the forest.

 

“I’d gladly tell you what I mean just to see you break and crumble before my very eyes, but you finding out on your own would be the most painful thing I can imagine,” Taehyun scoffed almost sounding like a madman, “Too bad I wouldn’t be there to see it,”

 

“You’re right, you wouldn’t,” The underboss mused as he looked back at the 787 boss. “Because you’d be too busy begging for forgiveness in Heaven,” With one sentence, Daniel turned back to Jaehwan who looked rather hesitant at the remark.

 

 

> _(“That’s it for the last stage, Phase Omega,”_
> 
> _“Wait, isn’t that a little too much?”_
> 
> _“We won’t need to worry about them ever again, just do it,”_
> 
> _“I don’t know Kang, isn’t it a little too extreme? Maybe this would be enough as a warning to let them know they shouldn’t mess with us ever again!”_
> 
> _“Is there a problem, Jaehwan?”_
> 
> _“... No, sir,”_
> 
> _“Good,”)_

 

 

“Phase Omega,” He commanded while Jaehwan hesitantly raised a hand, “Are you sure? I mean―”

 

“I said, Phase Omega,” Daniel repeated, tone vicious and glare as intense it silenced the capo in an instant. “... Right,” Once again, the younger capo raised his hand with no hesitance in his actions. “Guns ready!” The moment Jaehwan swung his hand down, Daniel doesn’t look back. The underboss merely continued forward towards their van completely ignoring the flurry of bullets that echoed through the forest clearing.

 

The silence that followed afterward was the most deafening. But to him, it sounded like a perfect finish to a well-orchestrated score.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AFTER 34589 DAYS ???  
> It's almost been three weeks we're so sorry! Ash already has classes and mine are about to start next week so we've both been busy and there were just days I couldn't get myself to write. Sometimes it's hard but we promise we have no plans of discontinuing! So as a way to make up for the delay, here is literally the longest chapter out of this series with a 6.1k word count~ Updates are only getting slow from now on but we're never going to drop it so no worries and again we're really sorry ㅠㅠ


	17. Absolute

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Mild violence, Foul language

For the second time in his entire operation, Seongwoo woke up with pain being the only thought in his head. Similar to the first time it happened, his body ached all over with no room for comfort or the slightest bit of ease in movement. Though this time there was a distinct difference.

 

The first thing he saw when his eyes fluttered open wasn’t a white ceiling but one in beige with a black lining. The bed didn’t feel lumpy and uncomfortable, it felt soft and almost silky to the touch he could practically feel himself drown midway into the sheets.

 

Seongwoo could barely move a muscle. Without the adrenaline keeping him tense of his surroundings, his mind finally registered the exhaustion that has long since seeped into his bones. The second thing that he saw was the IV dripped once again pierced into his skin. The capo groaned at the sight, he never liked that thing no matter how much he needed it. He couldn’t help poking it hoping it would disappear.

 

“Don’t touch that,” A commanding yet gentle voice echoed through the room when Seongwoo saw another hand held his own to stop him from poking. But when he glanced up at the owner of the hand, he didn’t think he’d come face-to-face with the underboss so soon.

 

Kang Daniel stood by his side, lips pressed into a thin line as he placed his hand down by his sides. “It’s nice to see you’re awake but you should stay in bed, I don’t think you can move anyway,” He mumbled as his gaze unconsciously lingered on the rope marks, now splotches of purple and blue, on his wrist.

 

Before Seongwoo could even utter a word, Daniel walked away and came back with a small container of some sort. The underboss doesn’t say a word when he dipped his finger in what looked like an ointment and gently spreads it all over his wrists. Although the touch was gentle, Seongwoo couldn’t help but flinch.

 

“Sorry, but it should help with the bruises so bare with it for a while,” Seongwoo couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. There were too many things wrong with that one sentence. One was Daniel never cared. No matter how much he protested on his ideas, the underboss never bothered to listen nor did he give any sense of aftercare whenever he fucked him.

 

Second, was the gentle way he handled him even if it was just his wrists. Back when they had a spar, Daniel couldn’t care less if he was hurt or not. Asserting his power seemed like a higher priority especially with the way he forced him into submission with the drugs he stole from 787. But that wasn’t the thing that surprised him the most.

 

_“Sorry,”_

 

It was the apology that echoed through his head. A simple word of five letters yet it felt like it weighed so much more. Daniel, the young underboss of the infamous Geumhwansang Pa, apologized for something he could have done. For once, Seongwoo thought he might’ve actually had a hint of guilt in whatever it was he did. That was not something he’d ever thought he’d hear. Then again, there was plenty of unexpected things that occurred in the past months since Kang took over. More than everything combined in the last three years.

 

Suddenly, he was reminded of the operation.

 

When was the last time he contacted headquarters? If he doesn’t report soon then Jisung might just freak out. But with them hovering over him for the next few days, communication seemed impossible. He’ll just have to look for better timing.

 

“There,” The deep voice snapped him out of his thoughts and his mind diverted his attention to the cool feeling on his wrists. “That should do it for now, but I’ll have to re-apply later,” Was all he said before the atmosphere plummeted into an uncomfortable silence. Or was it just Seongwoo who felt uncomfortable? Daniel stood so close by the side of his bed, hands resting on the edge with his gaze glued to the floor. But judging by the incessant fidgeting of his fingers, he must’ve had plenty of thoughts running through his head.

 

Finally, he took a deep breath and made Seongwoo tense when he looked him straight in the eye. “Seong―”

 

“I brought the bandages and ointment,” Another voice said and prompted Seongwoo to turn his head. “Jaehwan,” The capo rasped out since his tongue felt dry as sand, but his fellow capo was quick enough to help him sip from the glass on the nightstand. Seongwoo doesn’t miss the way Daniel clenched onto the sheets.

 

“I need a smoke,” The silver-haired man announced as he walked out of the room and left Seongwoo confused. “Don’t mind him, he’s been like that lately,” The younger capo said as he laid out the ointments and bandages on the side of the bed. “And yes, I know what I’m doing here. It still might hurt but you’ll just have to bear with it,”

 

Before Seongwoo could even question anything, pain flared through his collarbone when Jaehwan’s ointment-covered fingers made contact with the red burns. Although Seongwoo tried his best, it was never easy to hold himself back. He flinched then bit his lip to prevent any sound from escaping his lips.

 

“Fuck!” The curse managed to slip through his lips when the cooling effect finally registered in his head. “Sorry man but you have to stay still,” Jaehwan calmly replied as he pushed his shoulder down to at least stop his squirming. It took a while before Jaehwan bandaged the burns on his collarbone and the few on his back. By the end of it all, Jaehwan wiped off the sweat that drenched his entire face.

 

“This is a pretty similar scenario, isn’t it?” The younger capo said with a smile in hopes of lightening up the mood, “You badly hurt on a bed and me being the first thing you see when you’re up. It’s just that you saw Kang first and…” Although Jaehwan tried to keep up appearances, Seongwoo didn’t miss the glint of joy that faded from his eyes.

 

“... and... this was kinda my fault,”

 

“No, it w―,” Seongwoo tried to cut him off but the younger capo didn’t stop there.

 

“Maybe if I didn’t keep you out of the meetings then you wouldn’t grow so impatient and think of walking around. Or maybe I should’ve asked them to watch over you too? That would’ve been reassuring―”

 

“Jaehwan!” The Raven said with a raised tone. It successfully stopped the insistent rambling from his young colleague. “None of this was your fault, I was a target. They were going to get to me sooner or later,”

 

“You could’ve been protected,”

 

“They would still find a way to get me isolated and you know that,”

 

“I know! It’s just that―”

 

“Jaehwan, this wasn’t your fault. I did tell you to call me didn’t, I? You just did what I told you and that was it. You didn’t do anything wrong. I was… just too careless to walk away like that,” Even with their short exchange, Jaehwan still looked unconvinced. Seongwoo can’t blame him, he was the last guy he communicated with before they took him away. It was only natural to feel like he was to blame.

 

“Did everything go well?” He decided to change the subject. “What?” The younger capo looked baffled, at least he diverted his attention. “You’re my reliable right-hand man, aren’t you?” He started with a scoff, “I expect you know our protocols after every operation,” Seongwoo finished with a smirk it was enough to snap Jaehwan back to his senses.

 

“R-Right,” The younger capo cleared his throat and stood up straight with a mock salute, “The plan was well executed, no casualties but a lot of emptied magazines. Other than that, we have no lost firearms and men. It was a flawless execution at our part,” Jaehwan finished with a rather smug smile Seongwoo was relieved it was enough to make him feel better.

 

Just when he relieved one issue, a new problem arose in the form of a large man who lingered by the doorway. “Thanks for the ointment, you can go now,” Seongwoo told Jaehwan with a subtle sign towards their underboss. Luckily, Jaehwan had no objections when he got the hint and merely nodded. “Hope we’ll see you back in the field,” The younger capo patted his head with a teasing smile prompting Seongwoo to smack the ‘offending’ hand away.

 

“What the fuck,” The raven capo flinched when a jolt of pain surged through his body but Jaehwan was more amused than worried as he walked away with that signature cackle that scraped his ears. “That little shit…” He mumbled to himself as he laid back down, it was exhausting to keep his body upright in a sitting position anyway.

 

Even with his eyes closed, Seongwoo could hear the sound of footsteps echo through the room until it stopped. Close enough for Seongwoo to feel the looming presence of the silver-haired man right beside his bed.

 

Seongwoo didn’t know what to expect. Rather, he didn’t have any expectations towards the underboss’ presence. So when he felt a hand rest on his forehead, his eyes shot open and was met with the sight of Kang Daniel’s face hovering close to his own.

 

“I administered the same painkiller, at least there’s no spike in temperature this time around but I’ll have to keep monitoring you in case,” The underboss said in such a gentle way paired with the hand that ran through the raven locks Seongwoo almost thought it was a dream. But the underboss was still looking at him and there was a distinct weight that rested on his head enough to say that it was more than just a hallucination.

 

When Seongwoo does look up, he was met with the warmest pair of hazelnut brown orbs. But it was more than what meets the eye. For the first time since they met, the capo never thought he’d see sincerity and kindness in a cold-hearted man such as Kang Daniel.

 

“Where am I?” He decided to ask before the air could get uncomfortably thick, knowing where he is could provide some sense of security―

 

“You’re in my room,”

 

_Wait, what?_

 

“...What?” Seongwoo felt dumbfounded at the answer yet Kang remained unbothered. “As I said, you’re in my room. Of course, you’ve never been here considering it’s beyond my office and only a select few know about it. At least, that’s what used to be the case. As of today, only you and Jaehwan know about these hidden quarters. So don’t worry about it, you’re safe here,” Surprisingly, it wasn’t the words that offered him some semblance of reassurance. It was the hand that radiated warmth on the crown of his head that dulled a bit of his pain.  

 

 _“Where do you think you’re going?”_ A very familiar voice echoed through his head, Seongwoo’s hands trembled at the memory.

 

 _“Here’s a fitting way to use your mouth, worthy for a bitch like you!”_ The memory was so vivid. The disgusting smirk, the tight grip on his hair, and the act that occurred afterward. It all hit him so fast. His thoughts thrown into complete disarray until a loud smack finally snapped him out of his thoughts.

 

He smacked the underboss’ hand off his head.

 

At least, that was what he intended to do before Kang caught his wrist midway.

 

The raven had never felt so weak he loathed every second of it. No matter how much he hypnotized himself, told himself to shrug it off and pretend nothing happened, his body couldn’t forget. The rough and calloused hands that tied him down and forced him into submission. Even with the man gone, the memories remain fresh and haunted him every minute of the day in fear.

 

Kang doesn’t miss the tremble in his hands and the quiver in his lips. Maybe the Kang Daniel months ago would find it a turn on, amusing even. But now, he couldn’t even bring himself to think about his sexual escapades. Just by the delicate hold he had on his wrist, the raven man felt so fragile. So breakable at the smallest bit of pressure if he ever dared to tighten his hold.

 

“I won’t let anyone hurt you,” Kang whispered into his ear. For the first time in what felt like years, he felt the urge to protect was stronger than to destroy. The underboss held the trembling hand in his as he leaned close until their foreheads touched. Whether it was fear or surprise, Seongwoo froze at the contact but Kang was more than happy to have the trembling stop. With the capo’s current state, it didn’t require much effort to coax him back to sleep. The underboss gently laid him back down with the hand still held within his own.

 

Daniel wasn’t quite sure when things started to change; when protection started to become more important than destruction, when well being became a priority over sex, when Seongwoo became more than just the ‘pretty boy’ he fucked. Unknowingly, the raven capo became something more than a mere sexual interest and it scared him. It was scary to know how much things changed without him knowing yet he felt a strange sense of calm as if it wasn’t something to worry about.

 

Is this how caring for someone was like? It’s been a decade since he locked his own emotions away it was all too foreign to comprehend. ‘Anger’ fueled his actions, ‘Sadness’ was merely a trigger, but ‘Happiness’ was nothing but a concept. Growing up in this kind of environment, Kang didn’t have a ‘childhood’ as most children did. He recalled running around fields followed by two adults who catered to his needs when he was five. Yet, he was already dealing with drugs by the tender age of eight.

 

Daniel never knew what love was or what being loved felt like.

 

It was nothing but an abstract thought, a fairy tale of sorts.

 

But with this new opportunity presenting itself, was this his chance of discovering what ‘love’ is like?

 

There was no harm in trying. If it was for Seongwoo, then it wouldn’t be a big deal and maybe it could even be worth it in the end. With one last squeeze of his hand, Daniel nuzzled his nose into the capo’s hair, “If it’s for you, I’ll do anything,” He mumbled to the unconscious man before he walked away leaving the raven sleeping peacefully.

 

“Jaehwan,” The underboss called and waited ‘til the footsteps halted by the door. “Take over, for now, I have someone I have to visit at the moment,” He said all in one breath, Jaehwan could barely keep up.

 

“W-Wait, right now? I still have to―”

 

“I won’t be long,” Kang cuts him off before he could finish.

 

“What do you even HAVE to do?” The young capo couldn’t help but sound frustrated but Kang shrugged it off. He had more important matters to attend.

 

“Just a simple visit, it won’t be long”

 

~ .oOo. ~

 

“Rise and shine, porcupine!” The silver-haired underboss said as he burst into the dimly lit room. “Did you miss me?” Daniel singsonged as he bounced into the room right in front of the brunette tied up in the center.

 

“Porcupine? Is that the best you can come up with right now?” The brunette man scoffed, “You’ve gone soft, so fucking soft I could feel myself sinking in it until I suffocate,” He spat and dared to lunge despite the restraints that kept him rooted on the spot.

 

“I mean, you don’t have to stop yourself on my account. You’d do the whole world a favor,” Kang nonchalantly shrugged at the petty attempt of a threat. “Need a headstart? With your hands all tied up like that, I’d like to see you try,” Daniel said with an amused smirk and his hands on his hips.

 

“Should I stand here and give you let’s say… 15 minutes? You look like you’re going to need all the time you can get. That is, if you even know how to get out of it,” He dared to step forward until he was a foot away. After all, he had nothing to fear. The man who caused Seongwoo all his pain was now within reach trapped in the palm of his hands.

 

“You’re a real dumbass Kang and you’ll burn the entire Geumhwansang Pa to the ground because of your large ass head. Go and keeping frolicking around for all I care, you were already doomed the moment you came in here and that hasn’t changed. You were meant to fall―!”

 

Before Seo could even finish, a quick fist met his jaw and effectively knocked him down onto the hard concrete. “I guess unnecessary blabber is also you’re kind of thing, huh?”

 

“Learned it from the best, isn’t self-entitled blabber the only thing that comes out of your mouth every single day? Did you hope to lure Ong with that shit?” Kang was calm, but the name obviously struck a chord with the way his lips curved down into a frown.

 

“Oh? So there is something, isn’t there?” The brunette cackled as he sat up from the ground. “The man’s a beaut, is he a good fuck? I bet he’s a vocal kind of bitch. Even if he isn’t then I would still pound that little ass,” Even when Kang grabbed him by the hair, the wretched smirk doesn’t even waver from his lips.

 

“The problem here… is you’d be too fucked up to ever know,” Daniel muttered in a low voice as a smirk crept its way to his lips. The underboss tossed him to the other side of the room not bothering to look how he landed as long as he heard a loud thud. Instead, he strode over to the table by the side and took out a pair of leather gloves from the drawer.

 

“You know, you could have been living the good life like you used to in a more… proper kind of setting yet you chose to go after me. A  little shallow, don’t you think? All the missed opportunities and wealth you could have acquired flushed down the drain,” He rambled on as he tugged the leather gloves over his hands.

 

“Yet, here you are tied up and on the floor looking like a pathetic worm. What could possibly be worse, right?”

 

“I would have been your subordinate,” Seo scoffed, “Yeah, you’re right. It would’ve been worse just thinking about dealing with you every day. I can already feel myself in another dimension groaning over the thought,” Daniel sarcastically replied.

 

The silver-haired underboss casually strolled towards the man on the floor and picked him up by the hair before he swung his fist hard on the man’s face. With a man such as Daniel, the power behind the impact was intense enough to dislocate the man’s jaw.

 

“But then, this is obviously better for me anyway,” Daniel nonchalantly said with a shrug “I get to carry out revenge AND relieve some tension from everything, it’s a pretty good deal!” He said in an unsettlingly happy manner it could send chills down anyone else’s spines.

 

“Lucky for you, I’m in a pretty good mood today so I’ll give you one last chance,”

 

“Ha! I don’t need pity from a fucking kid, just kill me now” The brunette spat but Daniel continued anyway. “I’ll let you live if you work for me, other than that…” The underboss trailed off with a smirk, “... You know too much. When I’m done with you, I can’t guarantee you’ll walk away with your life,”

 

“Fuck you.”

 

“Well, don’t say I didn’t give you a choice,”

 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


 

“Something wrong?” The young capo said when Seongwoo snapped his head to the door, “No, it’s just… I thought I heard something like.. like a cry of pain,”

 

“The Parks are having another outdoor training session today, maybe one of the trainees had it rough,” Jaehwan replied but Seongwoo didn’t miss the quick twitch on his face as if he knew something else. Seongwoo decided to shrug it off. Maybe it was the exhaustion playing with his vision.

 

“Maybe…” Though he highly doubted that was the case he didn’t have much time to think about it when the underboss burst through the doors. “I’ll take over from here,”

 

“What? Wait, what about-”

 

“Jaehwan, don’t you have something you have to do?” Daniel cuts him off with a smile but both weapons capos knew there was something more behind the innocent looking smile on his face.

 

“... Right, I’ll get to it,” The young capo said and left the room without another word. Seongwoo wasn’t stupid. Even if his mind was muddled with the after-effects of the long sleep and anesthesia, the strange vibe that enveloped the room was so thick it was almost tangible but his mind was too exhausted to dig deeper into it.

 

“You should get some more rest, give it three days and who knows, maybe you’ll get to roam freely by then,” The underboss with a rather gentle tone the capo almost had to squint to make sure he was talking to the right person but something much more interesting caught his eye.

 

“There’s a stain on your cheek,” The raven blurted out.

 

“Ah, looks like I enjoyed that strawberry dessert a little too much,”

 

  
  
  
  


 

 

A large massacre site was spotted in a large forest clearing at _Sirang-Ri, Gijang-gun by the residents on the border of the forest. According to the forensic reports, the bodies were at least three days old with multiple bullet wounds as the prevailing cause of death…_

_… WARNING,  the photos taken may be too graphic for the general public. Viewer discretion is strongly advised..._

_... Among the dead bodies was said to be a body tied to a wooden cross to mimic a crucifixion with a placard hung onto its neck. The body was beaten beyond recognition with bullet wounds to the face along with other deformations all over their body, the brown hair being the only indicator of it being a person. Unfortunately, the experts have declared it is impossible to pinpoint his identity with the heavy damage done onto his body..._

_... The experts on site have declared the crime under gang violence due to the message the placard bore towards the entrance of the clearing:_

 

_‘The Golden Fantasy Remains Absolute”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWO MONTHS. IT'S ALMOST BEEN TWO MONTHS SO YES HELLO THIS STORY IS ALIVE.  
> We both started Uni so its been a bit hectic lol and tbh I wasn't too motivated to write this chapter since it was kind of a transition one (although there are important things here too) especially towards the ending. There was suppose to be a slightly graphic part there with descriptions and everything but um... I am weak shit. Ash can do it better but she doesn't really have the time to do that right now ^^'
> 
> New arc, new plots and stories! Do you ever wonder whats going to happen next? I'm more excited to write the following parts tbh :>  
> Hopefully we can start updating chapters faster again lolz wish us luck?


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